HALF MOON BAY — One of the Bay Area’s strangest annual measurements happens Monday morning: pumpkins weighing well over a ton will be lifted by forklift onto an official scale in downtown Half Moon Bay.
The 53rd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off is Monday, Oct. 12, at the IDES Grounds, 735 Main Street.
The main official event materials list a 7 a.m.–2 p.m. event window, and spectators are welcome.
Is the Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off open to spectators?
Yes. The organizer explicitly says spectators are welcome.
People interested primarily in seeing the giant pumpkins weighed should plan around the morning rather than assume the action continues at the same pace until 2 p.m. Growers must have entries delivered by 7 a.m., and event staff move the pumpkins to the scale with forklifts.
What time is the actual weighing?
The main event listing runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., while organizers expect the weighing itself to happen largely during the morning, roughly 7 to 11 a.m., followed by awards and a growers’ luncheon.
One official directions page gives a 7 a.m.–noon window, while the homepage, rules and quick-facts material give 7 a.m.–2 p.m. SF News Today is using the broader main listing and separating it from the expected weighing window.
How much does the winning pumpkin earn?
First place pays $9 per pound.
That means a 2,500-pound winner would be worth $22,500 under the first-place formula alone.
There is an even larger target: organizers are offering a $30,000 total prize for a pumpkin that establishes and holds a new world record at the conclusion of the Half Moon Bay contest.
What is the current pumpkin record?
The record highlighted by organizers is Travis Gienger’s 2,749-pound pumpkin from 2023.
Where is the weigh-off?
The event is at the IDES Grounds, 735 Main Street, Half Moon Bay. Organizers also plan a Facebook livestream, with the link expected to be posted on event day.
What happens to the winning pumpkin afterward?
It stays in Half Moon Bay. The official rules require the winning pumpkin to remain through the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 17–18.
That gives people who cannot make Monday’s weigh-off another chance to see the winning giant the following weekend. The weigh-off itself, however, is where the suspense happens: until the pumpkin reaches the scale, nobody knows whether this year’s biggest contender is merely enormous or record-breaking.