Largest Pumpkins in the World at The New York Botanical Garden Through Halloween

NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Three winning pumpkins from regional weigh-offs across the United States, including a new world record holder, are on display through October 31, 2010, at The New York Botanical Garden. Scott Cully, who holds the Guinness World Record for carving the largest pumpkin, will attempt to break his own record starting October 29.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101026/NY88915)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101026/NY88915)

The enormous pumpkins each weigh over 1,600 pounds, with the new world record breaker, grown by Chris Stevens from New Richmond, Wisconsin, weighing an astounding 1,810.5 pounds. Scott Cully will take two days to carve the mammoth squash, going at a pace of 100 pounds per hour! The other two giant pumpkins on display at the Botanical Garden include one grown by Ken Sweet from Washington, Michigan, which tied the old record at 1,725 pounds, and one weighing 1,674.5 pounds, grown by Steve Connolly from Sharon, Massachusetts.  

This showcase of champions can be seen in the Leon Levy Visitor Center as visitors arrive for Halloween Hoorah and other autumn attractions at The New York Botanical Garden. In collaboration with the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC), the recognized standard of weights measurements and fairness of competition, these three regional winners of national pumpkin weigh-offs were delivered to the Garden on October 22. They are displayed around the Reflecting Pool where visitors can marvel at and take their pictures with these behemoths.

The GPC is the governing body of over 80 official weigh-off sites worldwide, their supporting clubs, and growers. These sponsored sites are attended by hundreds of thousands to the ever popular annually run festivals and weekend events held each summer and fall. The GPC strives to foster an environment friendly approach using basic organic techniques that has shown extreme fruit development can be obtained without harming our surroundings. All the winning growers used the RTI Industries giant pumpkin program to obtain these weights and world records.

The top regional winners -- the three largest pumpkins in the world -- and the dioramic fall display with the glorious landscape as a backdrop are a picturesque sight for everyone to behold during their fall visit to The New York Botanical Garden.

For more information, visit nybg.org or call 718.817.8700.

SOURCE The New York Botanical Garden