***NEW DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 3!!!!!***
The giant pumpkins are coming to Ridgefield!! Join us for Ridgefield’s 14th Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off and Festival in Ballard Park on Sunday, September 27th Saturday, October 3! The fun starts at 10:00 am and lasts until 3pm with pumpkin weighing starting at noon!
The Connecticut Giant Pumpkin Growers Club is excited to share this event will be bigger than ever with something for everyone! In addition to giant pumpkins, the day is filled with musical performances, farm stands, vendors, farm animals, children’s activities, food trucks, a live pumpkin carving done by a professional carver (a lucky raffle winner will be bringing home), a pumpkin decorating contest and more!
Be sure to decorate a pumpkin at home and bring it to Ballard Park to enter in the pumpkin decorating contest! Pumpkins can be carved or decorated. Invite your friends to join you at the weigh off and you can all vote for your favorite decorated pumpkins! Read the instructions and rules here and then download the entry form here. Good luck!
What is a Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off? Growers from New England and the mid-Atlantic make the trek to Ridgefield with their giant pumpkins to compete for prizes. They’ve spent the last several months growing these giants in their backyards (yes, they really grow them in one growing season). The pumpkins arrive in pickup trucks and on trailers in Ballard Park. The pumpkins are all lifted off the trucks and lined up in the park to await their turn on the scale in front of the gazebo. Pick your favorite and cheer them on as they are all weighed in. See if you can guess which one will weigh the most!
Last year’s winner weighed over ONE TON! Tony Ciliberto’s giant weighed 2,352.5 pounds setting a new Ridgefield record! Our top three heaviest pumpkins last year weighed in at a combined weight of 6,407 pounds!!
In addition to giant pumpkins, growers can also compete with giant green squash, long gourds, field pumpkins, marrows, bushel gourds, and giant tomatoes with awards in those categories. Arrive early to see the giant pumpkins arrive and be unloaded into the park. Weighing begins at noon. Follow Ridgefield’s Annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off on facebook
The Ridgefield Giant Pumpkin Festival is a true community event taking place in Ballard Park, in the center of Ridgefield! Thousands of people head to Ballard Park to spend the day in the park enjoying music, shopping our many incredible vendors including local artists, crafters, creators, small businesses who sell everything from hand made wood cutting boards, to tasty treats, fresh fruits and vegetables, jewelry, locally made custom candles, and more. Meet many amazing local businesses - find a great summer camp, sign your children up for exciting classes in everything from music lessons, to scouts, to martial arts, and more! Our food trucks include Waffle Cabin (making fresh waffles that can be topped with ice cream), Genoa’s pizza truck (personal pizzas made to order) and Brazilian BBQ Boys! There is something for everyone! Musical performances throughout the day. Meet the growers and learn about growing your own giant pumpkin to bring to next year’s event (or just to grow the coolest jack o’lantern in your neighborhood)! Ridgefield’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off has become a community tradition and the best way to welcome the fall season in New England!
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