Overview
- Dawson, a Santa Rosa manufacturing engineer at Rivian, captured the 52nd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off after finishing second by six pounds in 2024.
- The contest pays $9 per pound with bonuses, including a $30,000 award for a world record; reported winnings varied, with AP citing $20,000 and People reporting $22,114 including a California bonus.
- This year’s weigh-off kicked off the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and featured a California sweep of the top 10 entries.
- Runner-up Brian Werner’s pumpkin weighed 2,017 pounds, while special honors went to Sunny Simmons for Biggest from the Coastside and David Shuman for Most Beautiful Pumpkin.
- The world record now stands at 2,819 pounds from twin brothers in the United Kingdom earlier this month, and past Half Moon Bay champion Travis Gienger did not compete after his pumpkin was damaged.