CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A massive pumpkin weighing 2,455 pounds stole the spotlight Wednesday morning as the 2026 Circleville Pumpkin Show kicked off with a new record that crushed the competition and rewrote the festival’s history.
Pumpkin grower Troy Vanarsdalen claimed the top spot with his enormous entry, shattering the previous Circleville Pumpkin Show record of 1,355.5 pounds set by Dr. Leggit several years ago. Vanarsdalen also surpassed last year’s winning pumpkin, grown by Mike Helberg, which weighed 1,972 pounds.
The four-day celebration of all things pumpkin has been a Circleville tradition since 1903. To qualify for the giant pumpkin competition, entries must be grown within a 25-mile radius of downtown Circleville…