Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

Brandon Dawson Wins Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-Off With 2,346-Pound Gourd

A $9-per-pound payout with a $30,000 record bonus drew national growers to the event.

Giant pumpkins are raised by fork lifts before being weighed at the 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
From left, Brandon Dawson celebrates with his children Roman and Ayla after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Norman Breshears, dressed up as a scarecrow, takes a photo of one of the giant pumpkins at the 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Image

Overview

  • Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa claimed first place with a 2,346-pound pumpkin at Monday’s Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay.
  • At $9 per pound, the winning pumpkin pays $21,114, and no world-record bonus was awarded.
  • Growers and spectators arrived before dawn, with trucks pulling in at 5 a.m. and officials weighing entries throughout the morning.
  • Four-time Half Moon Bay champion Travis Gienger attended in support after his fast-growing pumpkin split in July.
  • The weigh-in kicks off the city’s Pumpkin Festival weekend, with the current world record now 2,819 pounds set this month in the United Kingdom.