The giant pumpkins are coming to Ridgefield for the 12th Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off and Festival! Head to Ballard Park on Sunday, September 22. The fun starts at 10:00 am and lasts until 3pm with pumpkins dipping the scales at noon!
What is a Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off? Growers from New England and the mid-Atlantic make the trek to Ridgefield with their giant pumpkins to compete for prizes. They’ve spent the last several months growing these giants in their backyards (yes, they really grow them in one growing season). The pumpkins arrive in pickup trucks and on trailers in Ballard Park. The pumpkins are all lifted off the trucks and lined up in the park to await their turn on the scale in front of the gazebo. Pick your favorite and cheer them on as they are all weighed in. See if you can guess which one will weigh the most! Last year’s winner broke the 2,000 pound mark! Steve Sperry’s pumpkin weighed in at 2,154 pounds. Join us in Ballard Park to see if we can break last year’s record!
In addition to giant pumpkins, growers can also compete with giant green squash, long gourds, field pumpkins, marrows, bushel gourds, and giant tomatoes with awards in those categories. Arrive early to see the giant pumpkins arrive and be unloaded into the park. Weighing begins at noon.
The Connecticut Giant Pumpkin Growers Club is thrilled to share this event will be bigger than ever with something for everyone! In addition to giant pumpkins, the day is filled with musical performances, farm stands, vendors, children’s activities, food trucks, a pumpkin decorating contest and more! Professional pumpkin carver, Jessica Manfro, will return this year to do a live carving demonstration. Her incredible carving will be raffled off (raffle tickets will be for sale at the event) and one lucky winner will bring home this incredible carving!
Decorate a pumpkin at home and bring it to Ballard Park to enter in the pumpkin decorating contest! Pumpkins can be carved or decorated. Invite your friends to join you at the weigh off and you can all vote for your favorite decorated pumpkins! Download the entry form here!
Schedule of events for the day:
10:00am - 3:00pm - visit our vendors, vote for your favorite pumpkins, see the giant pumpkins, grab food from the food trucks
10:30am - Ridgefield Suzuki School performance
11:00am - 2:00pm - check out the live pumpkin carving and buy a raffle ticket
11:30am - School of Rock performance
12:00pm - giant pumpkin weighing begins (smallest to largest)
1:00pm - Bach to Rock performance
New this year….show your support of this event with an event shirt. Shirts can be ordered here. $25 cash or check, you can pick up before the event to wear it on the 22nd!
The Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off Festival is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors: Ridgefield Parks & Recreation, Dimitri’s Diner, Fletch’s Bagels, Agriventures Agway, Gemstone Farm, Hamlethub, Hollandia Nurseries, Macaroni KID Greater Danbury. Be sure to stop by Ballard Park on Sunday, September 22nd and see the great pumpkin right here in Ridgefield!
