Pumpkin Primo: City’s Signature Fall Festival Home To 2024 World’s Largest Cucurbit—An Eye-Popping 2,731 Pounds!

The massive fruit was grown by husband and wife team Dave and Carol Stelts who reside in Enon Valley, PA. Dave Stelts also helps produce what has become one of the largest giant pumpkin spectacles in the country—Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival presented by LECOM—now in its seventh year and happening Oct. 19-20, Stacks Courtyard, 3 Crossings in the Strip District.

The 2024 award-winning pumpkin is currently being housed at the event’s storage facility at the Courtyard along with over 25 other giants awaiting staging at the upcoming festival where it will be featured in the “Champions Row” exhibit for viewing and one of the more peculiar yet sure to be popular selfie opportunities anywhere.

In addition to its “largest in the world status,” the pumpkin also established a new Pennsylvania state record for biggest one ever grown, shattering the previous mark by 326 pounds.

Stelts will actually occupy all 3 positions in the champion’s exhibit—awarded to the largest three pumpkins procured for the event—with two more behemoths nurtured by him and his wife—at 2,531 and 2,464 pounds respectively.

The trio of titanic gourds has also earned him a prestigious title within the arena of competitive pumpkin production—2024 Great Pumpkin Commonwealth [GPC] “Grower of the Year.” GPC is the governing body for giant pumpkin growers around the world.

Pittsburgh’s festival has become one of America’s most engaging places to witness pumpkins of this bulk and volume. Among the highlights? Spectators can see them incorporated into colossal carvings, watch them fall from a crane at record heights, or test their pumpkin mettle by pulling them in a somewhat titanic tug-of-war competition.

This year, the all-free event is adding a “squash sling” to launch, just for the fun of it, small pie pumpkins in sling-shot fashion and will feature many other highlight activities including: a 5K run/walk, horse-drawn carriage rides, glass blowing, pumpkin pie eating contests, costume characters and over 80 craft, food and drink vendors.

For a complete schedule and up-to-the-minute event details and highlights visit: monsterpumpkins.com