47th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Half Moon Bay

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The 47th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs", in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay, CA!

Long Branch Saloon & Farms

WHAT:Bring it on beefy, burly behemoths! The excitement is building in Pumpkintown as the World’s Greatest Gourd Growers and their astounding, mind-boggling, Volkswagen-sized orange orbs hope to squash the world record on Monday, October 12 at the 47th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off — the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs” — in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay, California.The weighing of pumpkins will begin around 7am and anticipate ending the weighing around 11am followed by the awards presentation and luncheon. Weigh-off organizers and title sponsor Safeway are offering a world’s biggest top prize of $7 per pound. Also at stake are thousands of dollars in super hefty prize money doled out to the top 20 plus the big carrot: a $30,000 total mega-prize for a new world record pumpkin entered at Half Moon Bay — considered the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs”. Two-time Half Moon Bay champion Leonardo Urena’s goliath 2,175-pound mega-gourd obliterated a formidable field of heavyweight contenders in winning the 2019 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off and setting a new California record.Beauty will share center stage with beefy brawn — a special $1,000 prize will be awarded to the “most beautiful pumpkin” as judged by our esteemed panel based on color, shape and size. Additional special prizes include: Biggest California Pumpkin — $1,000; Biggest Coastside Pumpkin — $1,000.Using forklifts and special harnesses, the gargantuan gourds will be carefully placed on a 5-ton capacity, industrial-strength digital scale under the watchful eye of officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner&#x27;s Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures. Half Moon Bay’s Weigh-Off will serve as an officially sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) site. NEW WEIGH-OFF LOCATION:<a href="https://www.longbranchfarms.net/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Long Branch Farms</a> is among the top venues for private events in the San Francisco Bay Area. The venue is popular for weddings, private parties, corporate offsites and company team building events. Four miles south of downtown Half Moon Bay off Highway 1, this unique old western town is nestled in the rolling countryside along the San Mateo coast. Long Branch Farms is located at 321 Verde Road, Half Moon Bay CA 94019.LIVESTREAM ON FACEBOOK: Follow the weigh-off Livestream on <a href="http://weighoff.miramarevents.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>.COVID PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS:• Due to the COVID pandemic, the weigh-off will not be allowing spectators/the general public to attend the event. However, participating growers are allowed to have a limited number of family and assistants (max. 4 including grower). Event staff and members of the media will be the only other people allowed on-site.• The health of our participants is our top priority. We are following all safety and sanitary precautions as recommended by the CDC and San Mateo County Health Department. • Everyone will be required to wear a face covering during the weigh-off and adhere to proper physical distancing from others.OFFICIAL RULES:• This event is open to growers of giant competition-sized pumpkins only.• Pumpkins must be grown, cared for, and entered by the weigh-off contestant.• Each contestant is limited to one entry.• Pumpkins that have won prizes in any other weigh-off competitions are not eligible.• In the event of a tie, prize money will be distributed equally among the tied parties.• Decisions of the judges are final in all cases.•Pumpkins must be in healthy and undamaged condition, free of rot, holes and cracks through the cavity, chemical residue, and soft spots.•To be classified as pumpkin, specimen must be 75% yellow/orange in color; all others will be classified as squash.•The vine must be trimmed to one inch from the stem. No foreign material is permitted in the weighing.•All pumpkins will be weighed without the use of tarps or other carrying devices.•Pumpkins will be classified by division based on where the specimen is grown, not the residence of the grower.•The weigh-off will be conducted in accordance with GPC rules.DELIVERY OF ENTRIES: Growers are responsible for bringing their entries to the weigh-off by 7:00 a.m. Weigh-off staff will move pumpkins by forklift. ALL entries will be handled with care. WEIGHING:The weighing and inspection will be officiated by the GPC and San Mateo County Department of Agriculture Office of Weights and Measures. The official weighing will be conducted using a 2-ton capacity digital scale. GROWER PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: This event is open to growers of giant competition-sized pumpkins only. Growers are required to pre-register online on through this Eventbrite page. This will help us manage and control the event and provide an accurate count of entries. Participating growers are allowed to have a limited number of family and assistants (max. 4 including grower). Your cooperation will help us run a well-organized event. This event is open to growers of giant competition-sized pumpkins only. If you register and have tickets but are not a grower or are not entering a giant competition-sized pumpkin, you will not be admitted due to COVID restrictions. GROWERS AWARDS LUNCHEON:There will be an awards luncheon to honor all contestants immediately following the weigh-off in the spectacular Long Branch Farms Reception Parlor. GROWERS VIP WELCOME PARTY, SUNDAY EVENING AT CAMERON&#x27;S INN &amp; PUB: Registered weigh-off growers and their small traveling party (4 max.) are cordially invited to a VIP (Very Important Pumpkin) Party with complementary food and beverage at Cameron’s Inn &amp; Pub on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 5-8pm. Please bring your weigh-off pumpkins to the VIP party for news media on-site to preview the weigh-off entries. WEIGH-OFF LODGING:Stay at the Best Western Plus Cameron&#x27;s Inn next door to Cameron&#x27;s historic pub! Book <a href="https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-half-moon-bay/best-western-plus-cameron-s-inn/propertyCode.05740.html" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">on-line </a>or call the hotel directly at 650-713-5151. For additional Lodging and visitor information on line, go to <a href="https://www.visithalfmoonbay.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">visithalfmoonbay.org</a>WORLD&#x27;S BIGGEST TOP PRIZE – $7/Pound1st place prize money will be awarded in a “pay-by-the-pound” system with the champion receiving a hefty $7 per pound.WORLD RECORD MEGA-PRIZE – $30kThe Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off is offering a special $30,000 mega-prize for the world record breaking pumpkin at the prestigious Half Moon Bay event. To receive the $30,000 mega-prize, the grower must break and hold the world record at the conclusion of the Half Moon Bay weigh-off. If two or more growers happen to break the world record at Half Moon Bay, the prize money would go to the grower of the heaviest pumpkin. The current world record pumpkin is 2,624 pounds set on October 9, 2016 by Mathias Willemijns of Belgium at the Giant Pumpkin European Championship in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Here&#x27;s how the $30,000 breaks down: the winner receives $7 per pound plus a $10,000 bonus mega prize for a new world record plus the difference to get to $30,000. So, a 2,000-pound pumpkin would net $14,000 (2,000 pounds x $7 per pound), plus $10,000 for a new world record, plus an additional $6,000 difference to get to the $30,000 threshold.PRIZE MONEY: 1st Place — $7 per pound2nd Place — $3,0003rd Place — $2,5004th Place — $2,0005th–10th Place — $1,000 each11th–20th Place — $200 eachSPECIAL PRIZES: World Record Pumpkin — $30,000 (total)Biggest California Pumpkin — $1,000Biggest Coastside Pumpkin (Montara to Pescadero) — $1,000Most Beautiful Pumpkin — $1,000Special GPC plaques and ribbons will also be awarded.INDEMNIFICATION:The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, their volunteers and agents will not be responsible for any injury or damage associated with the Weigh-Off. The Weigh-Off and Pumpkin Festival may use photographs of, stories about and the actual entries themselves for publicity and promotion of the associated weigh-off and festival. By registering, I, the weigh-off grower, agree to these conditions.CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:FACEBOOK <a href="https://www.facebook.com/halfmoonbaypumpkinweighoff/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/halfmoonbaypumpkinweighoff/</a>TWITTER <a href="https://twitter.com/HMBPumpkinFest/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">@HMBPumpkinFest</a>INSTAGRAM <a href="https://instagram.com/hmbpumpkinfest" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://instagram.com/hmbpumpkinfest</a>YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/rY6Pptu40eAMEDIA AND SPONSORSHIP CONTACT:For press and sponsorship inquiries and assistance, please contact Tim Beeman, CEO of Miramar Events 415-999-2428 (mobile) or tim@miramarevents.com

47th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Half Moon Bay

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47th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Half Moon Bay

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