Winners announced in NC giant pumpkin and watermelon competitions

RALEIGH, NC – A site-record and big prizes were awarded at the giant pumpkin and watermelon competition at the N.C. State Fair on October 21. The winning entries will be on display in the Agri Supply Expo Center for fairgoers to see and photograph at the N.C. State Fair, Oct. 16-26.

Tuesday’s weigh-in included the special competition sanctioned by The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth and hosted by the N.C. State Fair. The competition is open to competitors from other states.

Image credit - NCDACS

“The giant pumpkin and watermelons are a must visit on your trip to the Fair,” said Kent Yelverton, fair director. “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.”

This year, two pumpkins weighed more than 2,000 pounds each, with the third-and-fourth-place finisher not far behind. Albert Rodebaugh of Craigsville, WV, placed first with a 2,244.5-pound pumpkin – setting a state record for the largest pumpkin grown in West Virginia and a site record for the N.C. State Fair. Terry Nelson of Thomas, WV, came in second with a 2,114.5-pound pumpkin. Chris Rodebaugh of Lewisburg, WV placed third with his 1,573-pound squash. Steve Hall of Convington, Va., placed fourth and won the Howard Dill Award for best looking pumpkin for his 1,511.1-pound pumpkin.

In the North Carolina-only competition the winning pumpkin was grown by the Donald Murphy family of Pink Hill and weighed 682.6 pounds. David Allen of Garysburg placed second with a 577.4 pound pumpkin and Mark Rollins of Clyde placed third with a 307.7 pound pumpkin.

The watermelon competition also saw many impressive entries including second-and-third-place winners from North Carolina. Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tenn, placed first with his 288.6-pound watermelon. H.C. Williams of Bailey placed second with his 245-pound pumpkin. Theron Ray of Bailey placed third with his 230.9-pound watermelon. The watermelon competition is sponsored by Agri Supply.

The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth is an international organization that promotes growing giant vegetables. The top three winners in pumpkins take home between $1.50 and $3 per pound. The top three winners in watermelons are awarded between $3 and $6 per pound.