The largest pumpkin in the world has arrived at the New York Botanical Garden just in time for Halloween. Winning pumpkins from regional weigh-offs across the United States and Canada, part of growing competitions around the world, including one that broke the world record for heaviest pumpkin set last year, will be on display for a limited time from October 19 through October 31, 2013. The enormous pumpkins each weigh over a 1300 pounds. The largest pumpkin, weighing an astounding 2,032 pounds, was grown by Tim and Susan Mathison from Napa, California.
The other pumpkins that will be on display are equally impressive. They include: two pumpkins grown by Dawn and Bill Northrup from New Brunswick, Canada, weighing 1,813 pounds and 1,024.5 pounds; and another two grown by Dave and Carol Stelts from Edinburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing 1,496 pounds and 1,391.5 pounds.
Also on display will be the world’s largest watermelon, weighing 350.5 pounds, grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee, and the world’s largest long gourd, at 139.25 inches, grown by Fred Ansems of Nova Scotia, Canada.
During the “Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend” on October 19 and 20, Master Carvers Ray Villafane of Food Network fame, along with a team of other carvers, including Sue Beatrice and Chris Vierra, will transform humongous pumpkins into giant carnivorous plants and other unearthly creatures. Visitors can participate in daily Q&A sessions with the carvers and snack on seasonal treats provided by Whole Foods Market.
Photo: Talisman Brolin
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden is open all day for exploration, with guided activities from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends. Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more await discovery at every turn. The display includes more than 500 orange and multicolored, hand-carved pumpkin sculptures sure to capture a child’s imagination. Every day, kids can play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, look for wiggly worms under a rotting log, and join a Halloween Parade, while each weekend offers even more treats.
Taking organic gardening to the extreme, the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth is the governing body of almost 100 official weigh-off sites worldwide, their supporting clubs, and growers. These sponsored sites host hundreds of thousands of visitors to the ever popular annually run festivals and weekend events held each summer and fall. The GPC strives to foster an environmentally friendly approach using basic organic techniques that have shown extreme fruit development can be obtained without harming our surroundings. All the winning growers used the RTI Industries giant pumpkin program to obtain these weights and world records. More information about the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth can be found here.
The giant pumpkins, some of the largest in the United States and Canada, and the dioramic fall display with the glorious landscape as a backdrop, will be a picturesque sight for everyone to behold during their fall visit to The New York Botanical Garden.
For more information, visit nybg.org or call 718-817-8700.
