Giant pumpkins will be weighed at 11th annual event in Canfield

CANFIELD -- The Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers 11th annual weigh-off will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Parks Garden Center, 9010 State Route 62.
Tim Parks, garden center director, said prize money this year will exceed $8,000 for the heaviest categories of pumpkin, watermelon, muskmelon, tomato, field pumpkin and the longest gourd.
Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers have about 300 members and is part of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, which conducts weigh-offs at 25 sites around the country to determine the world champion.
The world record for a giant pumpkin is 1,446 pounds. Parks said a new world record of 1,500 to 1,700 pounds is expected to be set for pumpkins this year. He expects at least 10 pumpkins at the Canfield event to weigh 1,000 pounds or more.
Anyone wishing to enter the weigh-off in any of the six categories must have their entry at the garden center by 9 a.m. Saturday.