Most pumpkins end up on a porch step or in a pie tin. The one that showed up in Warren on Saturday, October 10, was in a different weight class entirely. When it settled onto the official scale, the readout stopped at 3,156 pounds, and the crowd at Frerich Farm had a story worth repeating.

• Ron Wallace of Coventry, Rhode Island, brought a 3,156-pound pumpkin to the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off in Warren.
• Official scale weigher John Russo said the weight beat the previous world record by nearly 300 pounds.
• The pumpkin is being inspected as a possible world record, so nothing is official yet.

The Number Everyone Was Waiting For

The Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off is an annual event, and this year Frerich Farm in Warren played host. Growers brought their heaviest fruit and hoped to see a big number flash on the scale.

Ron Wallace’s pumpkin gave them the biggest number of the day. John Russo, the official scale weigher, put the winning entry at 3,156 pounds. That’s more than a ton and a half of pumpkin. Picture cutting it into 10-pound chunks. You’d end up with more than 300 of them. That’s a lot of pie.

The winning entry became the center of attention, with its scale reading putting Warren’s weigh-off in the spotlight.

A Coventry Grower Hits a Huge Milestone

Wallace grows giant pumpkins in Coventry, and this entry drew attention well beyond Rhode Island. At the time of the October 13 update, it was the first pumpkin known to have surpassed 3,000 pounds.

Growers have long talked about 3,000 pounds as a barrier. Wallace’s pumpkin cleared it by more than 150 pounds, which is why so many people are paying attention.

Russo said the pumpkin topped the previous world record by nearly 300 pounds. That’s a huge margin for a contest decided by what a scale says.

Why the Record Isn’t Official Yet

This is where some patience comes in. In the days after the weigh-off, the pumpkin was being inspected to see whether it qualifies as a new world record. Wallace appears to have broken the record, but appearing to break a record and having it certified are two different things.

There’s an extra twist, too. The world record Wallace may have beaten is less than a month old. So if this pumpkin is confirmed, the top spot will change hands again in a very short stretch.

Until the inspection wraps up, the simplest description is the safest one. Wallace’s pumpkin weighed 3,156 pounds on the official scale in Warren, and it won the weigh-off. Anything beyond that will have to wait for the people who keep the record books.

A Full Day of Fall Fun at the Farm

Families who came to watch had plenty to do besides stare at the scale. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the farm and had food trucks, live entertainment, and more. It took place over Columbus Day weekend, so it made an easy pick for anyone looking for a fall outing close to home.

Plenty of people at the farm came for a snack and some music. They left having seen a scale reading that made national news. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Keep an Eye on the Record Books

For now, Ron Wallace has a 3,156-pound pumpkin, a weigh-off win, and a lot of people waiting to hear what the inspection finds. If the record is approved, Warren will be the site of the first recognized weigh-in above 3,000 pounds. Either way, it’s a good reminder of how much fun these local fall events can be.

Want to see a giant pumpkin weigh-off for yourself? This contest happens every year, so put it on your calendar for next fall. Get there early, grab something from a food truck, and find a good spot near the scale. You never know what number will come up next.