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Arts & Entertainment

Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, "World Heavyweight Championship of Gargantuan Gourds"

WHAT: The World’s Greatest Gourd Growers and their astounding, mind-boggling, Volkswagen-sized orange orbs hope to squash the world record on Monday, October 8 at the 39th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off –– the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs” –– in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay, California.


This year, event organizers are offering a new $25,000 mega-prize for the world’s first 1-ton pumpkin or $10,000 for a new world record at Half Moon Bay. A host of accomplished, grizzled veteran growers will contend for the coveted title, the $25,000 1-ton/world record prize and thousands of dollars in additional prize money. In a pay-by-the-pound system, the winner will take home a hefty $6 per pound for the champion mega-pumpkin.


Defending champion Leonardo Urena, of Napa, CA, obliterated the competition at last year’s weigh-off with his ungodly 1,704-pound Atlantic Giant that set a new California record. Beauty will share center stage with beefy brawn with a $500 prize awarded to the “most beautiful pumpkin” as judged by the audience based on color, shape and size.

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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. Half Moon Bay’s Weigh-Off will serve as an officially sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) site.


THE GRAND CHAMPION MEGA-GOURD, ALONG WITH THE TOP FIVE WEIGH-OFF PUMPKINS, WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 13-14 FROM 9 AM TO 5 PM ON MAIN STREET.

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.


WHEN:  Monday, October 8, 2012. Weighing will begin at 7 a.m. and will be concluded at 11 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:  The weigh-off kicks-off the world-famous HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL –– THE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE OCTOBER 13-14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on historic Main Street. Festival highlights include a special display of gigantically enormous/heavyweight champion pumpkins, three stages of smashing entertainment, stellar live music, the Great Pumpkin Parade with Grand Marshal, Hall of Fame quarterback, Super Bowl MVP and all-time 49er great Steve Young, a bone-chilling Haunted House, harvest-inspired crafts, homestyle foods, expert pumpkin carver Farmer Mike sculpting a monster 1,200+ pound pumpkin into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, photos with the grand champion mega-gourd, pie-eating and costume contests, pumpkin carving for fun (not a contest), “Smashing Pumpkins: Battle of the Bands”, the Take 5 Lounge with giant screen TV, festival-label wine and Mavericks Pumpkin Harvest Ale. Admission is free.


PRIZE MONEY:


1st Place –– $6 per pound


2nd Place –– $2,000


3rd Place –– $1,500


 4th Place –– $1,000


5th – 10th Place –– $500 each


SPECIAL PRIZES:    


1-Ton/World Record Pumpkin –– $25,000


World Record Pumpkin –– $10,000


Biggest California Pumpkin –– $1,000


Biggest Coastside Pumpkin –– $500


Most Beautiful Pumpkin –– $500


INFO-LINE:  650-726-9652


WEBSITE:  http://www.miramarevents.com/weighoff/


FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/HalfMoonBayPumpkinFestival


TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/HMBPumpkinFest/                 

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