A Giant Pumpkin Named Rocky Gives a Champion Grower His California Comeback
Rocky earned Gienger $21,900 in prize money and added a fifth title in the officially sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth competition.
- On Monday, October 12, 2026, horticulture teacher Travis Gienger won the 53rd annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California, with his 2,289-pound giant pumpkin named Rocky.
- Gienger drove his massive gourd 2,150 miles from his backyard in Anoka, Minnesota, to the California contest, a 35-hour journey for a pumpkin weighing as much as a 2015 Chevy Spark.
- The champion earned $21,501 in prize money, calculated at $9 per pound, while the festival featured a carving appearance by Mike Valladao, the gourd artist affectionately called the "Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers."
- While Gienger celebrated his victory, the broader giant pumpkin community noted a new world record set on Saturday, as Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, reportedly grew a 3,156-pound squash.
- Named after the iconic boxer, Rocky fell short of Gienger's personal 2,749-pound record set in 2023, prompting him to plan a transition to climate-controlled growing to manage challenging weather.
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23 Articles
Day Around the Bay: Minnesota Farmer Wins Pumpkin Weigh-Off For Fifth Time
Retired SFPD officer was reportedly telling friends she was happy to be getting divorced before Sunday's murder-suicide; Republicans spent money on pro Susan Collins ads in the wrong Portland; and a farmer just became a five-time winner of Half Moon Bay's annual giant pumpkin weigh-off.
Halloween goes to the extreme as Super Bowl of pumpkin growers hits California beach town – see the giant that won
Minnesota grower Travis Gienger won Half Moon Bay's pumpkin weigh-off with a 2,389-pound giant, taking home $21,501 after driving it 2,150 miles.
The Mercury news
East Bay Times‘Pretty unbelievable’: Minnesota grower takes home fifth win at Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off
With his 2,389-pound pumpkin named Rocky, horticulture teacher Travis Gienger takes home $21,501 in prize money -- that's $9 per pound.
A giant pumpkin named Rocky gives a champion grower his California comeback
A massive 2,389-pound pumpkin named Rocky has won the annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California. Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, took home $21,501 in prize money after hauling his pumpkin across the country. This marks his fifth win…
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