Battle of the Pumpkin Titans

Fort Collins Nursery’s 16th Annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off & Fall Jamboree is shaping up to be the biggest and wildest one yet! On Saturday, Oct. 12, growers from around the region will compete for pumpkin supremacy and $8,100 in cash prizes and awards. With a $4,000 first-place prize and several state records on the line, this year’s event will be a battle of behemoth proportions interlaced with some fun storylines. 

Battle for Colorado Supremacy

The 2024 competition season has already seen a new Colorado state record set three times in three consecutive weeks. Will it be four in a row? 

• Fort Collins grower Brad Bledsoe kicked off the 2024 competition season with a 1,955 lb. state record and a first-place entry at the Irvine Railroad Park weigh-off in California on September 21. This broke the previous Colorado state record of 1,783 set by Chad New of Parker, CO in 2022. 
• The following week, Chad took back the record with a 1,976.5 giant at Jared’s Nursery in Littleton, CO, On September 28.  
• Brad reclaimed the record with an enormous 2,083 lb winner at the Nick’s Garden Center in Aurora, CO, last Saturday, October 5.
• Now, the competition moves to Fort Collins Nursery, where Brad could break his own new record with an entry with an estimated weight of 2,200 lbs.

Could three state records be set this weekend?

Colorado growers won’t be the only ones showing out this year. As an officially sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth contest location representing the Plains and Rocky Mountain region, growers from all over the region bring their entries to the Fort Collins Nursery contest. It’s possible we could see new Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah state records all getting set on Saturday.

• Andy & Amy Corbin from Cheyenne, WY, set a new Wyoming state record at Fort Collins Nursery last fall with a 2,062 lb beauty. The Corbins are expecting to bring their biggest one to Fort Collins this year with a strong shot at yet another new record. 
• Utah growers Ralph and Juana Laub set a new Utah state record two weeks ago at the Center Street Giant Pumpkin Festival in Logan, UT, with a 2,289 lb. monster. Of note, this record-breaking pumpkin was grown from a seed provided by Andy Corbin. The Vernal, UT-based growers are bringing perhaps their largest pumpkin to Fort Collins Nursery this weekend. Will they break their own new record?

Fort Collins Nursery’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off & Fall Jamboree is a FREE event featuring dozens of giant pumpkin and produce growers, tractor hayrides, plus a Kids’ Corner that features face painting, pumpkin bowling, and an interactive kids’ music station from Boredomfighters. The event runs from 10am-3pm with optimal pumpkin viewing time between 11am – 2pm.