By Matthew Young, RealWV, www.therealwv.com
West Virginia has a new state record for the largest pumpkin ever recorded.
The new record – a whopping 2,244.5 pounds – was set on Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Raleigh, NC, during the North Carolina State Fair, by Craigsville-grower Albert Rodebaugh. Albert bested the previous record of 2,206 pounds set in 2024, by his son, Chris Rodebaugh. In addition to being the largest pumpkin ever grown in the Mountain State, Albert’s pumpkin also set a brand new site-record for the North Carolina State Fair.
Tuesday’s weigh-in featured a special competition, sanctioned by The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth – an international organization which promotes the growing of giant vegetables. In addition to the giant pumpkins, Tuesday’s weigh-in also featured giant watermelons.
Albert’s winning pumpkin was grown from a “2144 Barron” seed, provided by Michigan grower Don Barron. The day’s second-largest pumpkin – weighing in at a massive 2,114.5 pounds – was grown by Terry Nelson of Thomas, WV. The “Howard Dill Award” for best looking pumpkin went to Steve Hall of Covington, VA, for his 1,511.1 pound behemoth.
“The giant pumpkin and watermelons are a must visit on your trip to the Fair,” Kent Yelverton, director of the NC State Fair, said in a statement released after the weigh-in. “These giants will be photographed thousands of times during the fair’s 11-day run. We appreciate the growers that put the time and effort into growing these giants and showcasing them at our fair.”
The top three growers will be awarded between $1.50 and $3 per pound for pumpkins, and between $3 and $6 per pound for watermelons, meaning the prize money for the two West Virginia growers is well into the thousands.
The 2025 North Carolina State Fair runs from Oct. 16 through Oct. 26. For more information, visit ncstatefair.org.
