Experience The Best Gigantic Pumpkin Festival And Weigh Off

Wisconsin giant pumpkin passion overflows in the small town of Altoona. Pumpkin growers that have ranked in the world’s top 10 enter this fun Fall festival called the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival.  Find out how to Experience The Best Gigantic Pumpkin Festival And Weigh Off.

 

Some giant pumpkin festivals come across as cutthroat where growers keep tips and tricks a secret in order to win it all. Not so in Altoona where a supportive community wants to see you succeed. Here, the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival celebrates growers. The results are evident as it has become one of the fastest-growing giant pumpkin festivals in the country. As a matter of fact, participants were delighted when CNN highlighted the festival.

Sure the giant pumpkins are fantastic and fun to take photos with, but it’s really about the people that make this festival the best. You should plan on attending the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival because you’ll definitely regret missing this experience.

 

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships

Michael Jordan

 

About Altoona and River Prairie

 

Altoona, Wisconsin is a small town of eight thousand residents bordering Eau Claire on the east side. You’ll find plenty of outdoor activity in this booming town in Northwest Wisconsin too. In fact, Altoona’s newest development, River Prairie, is designed with outdoor activities in mind year-round.  

At River Prairie, you can live and play in one place. The River Prairie Center, which lies in the middle, holds events such as the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival and the United States Crokicurl Championship in Winter. Trust us, you don’t want to miss these fun events!

 

Activities At The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival

• 5K pumpkin run/walk

• Children’s races include ¼ mile run for ages 5-8 and a 75-yard pumpkin trot for ages 1-4

• Rubber Ducky Race 

• Bake Off

• Kids pumpkin decorating

• Vendors

• Food Trucks

Check for more activities each year as they get added. With this intention, look for a pumpkin regatta and pumpkin drop next year as possible additions.

 

Don’t forget to come back to River Prairie in the Winter to Crokicurl! Now Is The Perfect Time To Crokicurl.

 

Be sure to check out Eau Claire in a few different ways while visiting. How To See Eau Claire, Wisconsin In An Epic Way

The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival Prizes

 

The winning giant pumpkin took home four thousand dollars with an additional nine thousand dollars split between the other winning entries. Giant pumpkin, vegetable, and fruit growers from across the Midwest appear to be noticing the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival. They chose to enter here instead of their usual festivals closer to home. 

First place went to Caleb Jacobus from Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin with his 2,002 pound Atlantic Giant Pumpkin.

The Howard Dill Award for the prettiest giant pumpkin went to Adam Toboyek from Mosinee, Wisconsin.  

Consequently, Ben Polzin from Cadot, Wisconsin, grew a 2,061-pound giant pumpkin but it became damaged and would not qualify. In the spirit of giant pumpkin fun, he brought it to display in the festival. Ben lives locally and is a key person helping to create the giant pumpkin growing community. 

 

The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Weigh-Off

 

The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival is a sanctioned weighing event through the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC).

Watch the weigh-off up close beginning at 6 am for giant squash, long gourds, tomatoes, watermelons, field pumpkins, bushel gourds, and marrows. However, the main attraction of the giant pumpkin weigh-off begins at 11:00 am for pumpkins weighing over 1,000 pounds.

To emphasize, this is a family friendly event where you can see and touch giant pumpkins. For example, as officials measured a Giant pumpkin they called some children over to help hold the measuring tape. Now that’s spreading giant pumpkin passion!

 

See how to make more fun family memories here. Spreading Joy In A Gigantic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.  Who wants to ride shotbun?

 

Since we’re talking about giant stuff, check out See Red Wing, Minnesota And The Gigantic Boot.

The City Of Altoona Grew A Giant Pumpkin Too

 

Even though they didn’t place in the top half of the heaviest pumpkin competition, employees from the city of Altoona had fun trying their hand in giant pumpkin growing. They planted their ambitions in a community garden behind City Hall. For the entire growing season Mike Golat, Roy Atkinson, and Scott Kwick nurtured their giant pumpkin venture to grow one as large as possible.

Granted, Mike Golat is an experienced giant pumpkin grower, but these city employees can help create a community from first-hand experience.

 

What Happens To The Giant Pumpkins After The Festival

 

Many growers take their giant pumpkins and other entries back home so that they can be displayed in front of local businesses and main streets. Some will sell them to businesses for a nice display.  

Sometimes giant pumpkins can be donated to farms to feed livestock. A few even made it to the Minnesota Zoo for their elephants to play with.

If you want to buy a giant pumpkin after a festival then plan on spending between fifty cents to one dollar per pound. This year, the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival giant pumpkins sold for seventy-five cents per pound.  

The city of Altoona purchased two giant pumpkins to keep on display in River Prairie after the festival. Each pumpkin weighed about one thousand pounds and they crafted a decorated Fall background for fun photos. By doing this, visitors had a chance to see a giant pumpkin if they couldn’t attend the festival. This also gives visitors a chance to take their photos with a giant pumpkin. Of course, share on social media too!  

Creating A Giant Pumpkin Growing Community 

 

The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival’s focus is about creating a community where you can dream big.

Roy Atkinson, City of Altoona Management Analyst

 

Most importantly, participating in the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival is not all about winning. It’s about the whole community helping each other, then success will follow. For instance, creating feeder programs by teaching others how to grow giant pumpkins. Again, their focus is on creating a local giant pumpkin culture. In turn, the pumpkin festival will grow bigger and better each year. The giant pumpkin festival turns into a celebration of everyone’s success, instead of winning.

 

“The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival’s focus is about creating a community where you can dream big.” Roy Atkinson, City of Altoona Management Analyst

 

Learn How To Grow Giant Pumpkins From Veteran Growers

 

To point out, Shannon Engle from Menomonie, Wisconsin created a giant pumpkin growing beginners seminar. To begin with, Shannon started growing giant pumpkins in 2001. Now, growers from around the world buy his seeds in hopes of winning the Howard Dill Award for prettiest pumpkins.

Another veteran giant pumpkin grower, Ben Polzin, owns Down To Earth Garden Center & Shops in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Ben is another key person helping to develop the local giant pumpkin growing community. Ben pointed out two helpful giant pumpkin growers associations that local growers are members of. These two are the Wisconsin Giant Pumpkin Growers and the St. Croix Growers Association.

Ben recommends attending beginner giant pumpkin growing seminars in two places. The first, at Down To Earth Garden Center in Eau Claire, and the second in Altoona. These usually take place each year on back-to-back weekends in early May. Each person attending receives a pumpkin plant to take home to begin their growing experience. For more info email Down To Earth Garden Center at home@dwntoearth.com.

Not only is Mike Golat the Altoona City Manager, but also a veteran giant pumpkin grower. Needless to say, Mike has been instrumental in starting the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival.

 

All in all, if you want to grow a giant pumpkin then Northwest Wisconsin is the best place to be. Their excellent giant pumpkin growers network will help you succeed and make it easy for anyone to participate. In essence, they are all good friends that share tips and advice regularly with each other.

 

Important Information

• The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival is free for everyone

• Pets are allowed as long as they are leashed and socialized

• The festival is easily accessible for everyone

• Giant Pumpkins, along with all other entries, arrive from 6 am – 11 am

• See all of the entries and official weights here

• Free parking 

 

Naturally, people watching should always be highlighted at events like this because you never know what you might see. Especially since Wisconsin has one of the most quirky populations you’ll find. For example, Roy Atkinson said, “One of the most interesting things I have seen at the festival was someone walking a baby fox on a leash.”

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Giant Pumpkins

 

Are giant pumpkins good to eat?

Simply, no. Ben Polzin said giant pumpkins contain more than 90% water so they have a mushy texture. They are also specifically grown for size instead of flavor. 

 

 

 

How big can giant pumpkin seeds grow?

Giant pumpkin seeds grow to about 1 ¼ inches long.

 

 

 

How much does a giant pumpkin seed cost?

A giant pumpkin seed from a 2,000-pound pumpkin normally costs between twenty and one hundred dollars each. Although some can cost over five hundred dollars. 

 

 

 

How do you choose a giant pumpkin seed?

You want to buy a giant pumpkin seed with a proven lineage. Yes, giant pumpkin seeds are traced on a family tree like ancestry.com so you want to choose carefully. Despite a good history, a giant pumpkin seed isn’t guaranteed to grow as expected. You can spend top dollar for an award-winning giant pumpkin seed but it might not even grow. It’s still a gamble.

 

 

 

How difficult is it to grow a 2,000-pound giant pumpkin?

Growing a 2,000-pound giant pumpkin takes years of experience and a lot of tedious work. A first-time giant pumpkin grower would not be able to grow one this big the first time.  

 

 

 

How fast does a giant pumpkin grow?

Towards the end of the season, a giant pumpkin can grow 25 – 50 pounds a day. A giant pumpkin needs shade to keep growing because direct sunlight hardens the skin so that it cannot expand and grow.

 

 

Final Thoughts

When you look at rows of huge pumpkins at the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival you see plenty of evidence of community support. Not only in pumpkins, but the camaraderie of growers celebrating their successful harvests. This certainly does not look like a young three-year-old festival. You better keep an eye on this festival because the community dreams big. 

 

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

 

Thanks for reading Experience The Best Gigantic Pumpkin Festival And Weigh Off.

Tom and Kristi

 

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