HALF MOON BAY BECAME AN OFFICIAL GPC SITE IN 2008

Thad Starr with his record-breaking 1,528 lb. win Starr shares his growing secrets with the media Starr with his gargantuan gourd Jim Sherwood, Thad Starr and Jack LaRue are all winning growers from the Pacific Northwest

Check out the Record-Breaking Results of the 2008 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off

What:
The World's Greatest Gourd Growers and their titanic, super-sized beasts gather for the 36th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off –– in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay, California. A host of accomplished, veteran growers from throughout the west will be contending for the coveted title and a hefty  share of about $20,000 in prize money. In a pay-by-the-pound system, the winner will take away $6 per pound for the champion pumpkin. Thad Starr's burly 1,528-pound Atlantic Giant topped the previous Half Moon Bay record and crushed the formidable field of seventy heavyweight growers, taking home the coveted title and $9,168 in prize money. Beauty will share center stage with brawn –– a special $500 prize will be awarded to the “most beautiful pumpkin” as judged by the audience based on color, shape and size.

Using forklifts and special harnesses, the gargantuan gourds will be carefully placed on a 5-ton capacity, industrial-strength digital scale under the watchful eye of officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner's Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures. THE GRAND CHAMPION GOURD, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER MONSTER PUMPKINS, WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 17-18 FROM 9 AM TO 5 PM ON MAIN STREET.

When:
Monday, October 12, 2009. Weighing will begin at 7 a.m. and will be concluded at 10:30 a.m. Growers will start lining the street as daylight breaks by 7 a.m.

Where:
I.D.E.S. Grounds, 735 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, California.

Why:
Kicks-off the world-famous HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on historic Main Street. The World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay celebrates its bountiful fall harvest and autumn splendor with a spectacular lineup paying homage to the Great Gourd including a special display of gigantically enormous weigh-off champion pumpkins, three stages of smashing entertainment, live music, the Great Pumpkin Parade, a bone-chilling Haunted House, The Golden Gourds Youth Talent Showcase, massive weigh-off champion pumpkins, harvest-inspired crafts, homestyle foods, expert pumpkin carvers, photos with the grand champion gourd, pie-eating, carving and costume contests, The Take 5 Lounge with giant screen LED TV, Half Moon Bay Winery's special festival-label wine and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company's Mavericks Pumpkin Harvest Ale. Admission is free. Festival Info-Line: 650-726-9652

Prize Money:

OPEN DIVISION	SAN MATEO COUNTY DIVISION
1st Place –– $6 per pound	1st Place –– $500
2nd Place –– $2,000	2nd Place –– $300
3rd Place –– $1,500	3rd Place –– $200
4th Place –– $1,000
5th-10th Place –– $500

Special Prizes:
Biggest California Pumpkin –– $1,000
Biggest Coastside Pumpkin –– $500
Biggest San Mateo County Farm Bureau Pumpkin –– $500
Most Beautiful Pumpkin –– $500

Info-Line: 650-726-9652

Click here for the Official Entry Form