2,346-Pound Gourd Wins Top Pumpkin Contest Prize

Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa, California took home over $22,000 in prize money

NEED TO KNOW

  • This year’s heaviest pumpkin champion goes to Brandon Dawson’s 2,346 lb “monster gourd”
  • Last year, Dawson’s pumpkin (named Seymour) was the competition’s runner-up — missing the top prize by just six pounds
  • Dawson took home $22,114 in prize money

Announcing this year’s most gigantic pumpkin!

The 2025 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, held in Half Moon Bay in California, ended in a bang when Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa, California won the grand honor. Thanks to his “monster gourd,” weighing more than a ton, Dawson took home a total prize of $22,114.

Dawson’s pumpkin weighed a whopping 2,346 lbs and appeared to be the size of a small couch. Dawson was joined by his two young children — both were able to sit on top of the pumpkin for a few snaps — and his wife to celebrate the honor.

Last year, Dawson’s pumpkin contender (which he named Seymour, per Sonoma Magazine) was named the runner-up, falling just short of Minnesota horticulture teacher Travis Gienger’s 2,471 lb gourd…

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