This California coast town crowns a 2,000-pound pumpkin every October, and a world record here pays $30,000
Half Moon Bay calls itself the World Pumpkin Capital, and the funny part is that its recent champion pumpkins weren’t grown there at all. They came from Minnesota and Santa Rosa, hauled to the coast so they could sit on one very serious scale and find out whether a summer of obsessive babysitting paid off.
That scale gets its moment on Monday, October 12. Then, the following weekend, the whole town throws a free street festival around the winners. If you’ve ever wanted to stand next to a pumpkin that weighs more than a ton, this is your month.
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The weigh-off: Monday, October 12
The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at IDES Hall, 735 Main Street. This is the 53rd year of it, which tells you Half Moon Bay has been taking giant gourds seriously for a long time.
The pumpkins go onto a five-ton-capacity scale, and San Mateo County’s Agricultural Commissioner’s Office oversees the official weigh-in. No eyeballing, no rounding up for effort. First place earns $9 per pound, and there’s a separate $30,000 mega-prize waiting for anyone who brings in a world record.
Do the math on a 2,300-pound winner and you’ll understand why growers drive across the country for this. Is it the strangest payday in California? Quite possibly.
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The last three champions, by the numbers
In 2023, Travis Gienger of Minnesota set a world record right here with a 2,749-pound pumpkin and took home $30,000. He came back in 2024 and won again with 2,471 pounds.
Last year’s winner was Brandon Dawson, a Santa Rosa engineer who had lost the 2024 title by just six pounds. He returned with a 2,346-pound pumpkin and walked away with more than $20,000.
Six pounds! On a pumpkin that size, that’s a rounding error with a championship ring attached.
The bar for that $30,000 record bonus has moved, too. Twin brothers in England pushed the Guinness world record to 2,819 pounds in October 2025, so anyone chasing the mega-prize in Half Moon Bay now has to top that.
How does anything get that big? Giant pumpkins can pack on 50 to 70 pounds a day during peak growing season, which means the growers on that scale have basically been running a summer-long feeding program for a single fruit.
The festival: October 17–18 on Main Street
The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival takes over historic Main Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and it’s free to walk in. This is the 54th edition, and the top finishers from the weigh-off typically end up on display, so you can finally see the champion up close without fighting for a sightline at the scale.
Saturday brings the Great Pumpkin Parade down Main Street at noon, with floats, marching bands, and people in costumes. In between, there are pie-eating contests, live music on three stages, pancake breakfasts both mornings, and a Pumpkin Run on Sunday for anyone who wants to earn their pie.
Our take: go for the weigh-off, stay for the coast
If you can only pick one day, pick the weigh-off. The festival is a great small-town party, but the scale is where the actual drama lives, and a six-pound margin is the kind of thing you want to watch happen in real time.
Whichever day you choose, plan around traffic. Festival organizers warn that Highway 92 can back up as early as 8 a.m., and they point visitors toward SamTrans buses as an alternative to driving in.
Once you’ve had your pumpkin fix, you’re minutes from some of the best stretches of the San Mateo coast. Pick a stretch of sand from our guide to the best beaches in Half Moon Bay, stretch your legs on one of these Half Moon Bay hikes, or round out the weekend with more things to do in Half Moon Bay.
So, be honest: would you rather watch the weigh-off, or just show up for the pie? Tell us which side you’re on.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the festival weekend fills up, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
