Charlie Lopresti (left) laughs as Scott St. Laurent reacts to the weighing of his pumpkin Sunday, Oct. 1. St. Laurent grew a 1,330-pound fruit, his first fruit over 1,000 pounds. (Maia Zewert photo)
Close to 100 people witnessed the breaking of the state record for heaviest pumpkin at Pinkham’s Plantation in Damariscotta on Sunday, Oct. 1, during the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest’s annual giant pumpkin weigh-off.
Elroy Morgan, of Charleston, grew the 1,756-pound fruit, squashing the record set by Edwin Pierpont in 2015 by 28.5 pounds.
Elroy Morgan holds a sign declaring the weight of his state record-breaking pumpkin, 1,756 pounds, at Pinkham’s Plantation in Damariscotta on Sunday, Oct. 1. (Maia Zewert photo)
The record-breaking pumpkin was Morgan’s exhibition fruit. By the rules set by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, which sanctions the event, each grower may submit one official entry. Other entries are considered “exhibition,” meaning the fruit can still be weighed but it is ineligible for the contest.
While Morgan’s exhibition fruit was ineligible to win the Damariscotta weigh-off, the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth ruled that the pumpkin had still officially set a new state record, according to a post on the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta Facebook page.
Morgan’s official entry took first place in the giant pumpkin division, weighing in at 1,683.5 pounds. During the weigh-off, Morgan told Charlie Lopresti, the event’s master of ceremonies, that he believed the official entry was going to weigh more than his exhibition entry.
Former state record holder Pierpont, of Jefferson, took second place in the division with a fruit weighing 1,586.5 pounds. The weigh-off was a family affair for the Pierponts, as his daughter, Paris, took first place in the youth division with a fruit weighing 912.5 pounds.
Pierpont’s son, Justice, who took first place in the youth division last year, jumped into the adult division for 2017, placing ninth with a pumpkin weighing 1,107 pounds.
When it came time to announce the results of the adult giant pumpkin division, Damariscotta Pumpkinfest co-founder Bill Clark chuckled before revealing that all of the top 10 pumpkins weighed more than 1,000 pounds.
“We’ve really come a long way since we started,” Clark said.
The top 10 finishers in the adult giant pumpkin division were Elroy Morgan, 1,683.5 pounds; Edwin Pierpont, 1,586.5; Steve Pierpont, 1,482; Wes Page, 1,456.5; Joseph Gaboury, 1,425.5; Richard and Sue Powell, 1,334; Scott St. Laurent, 1,330; Michael Murphy, 1,267; Justice Pierpont, 1,107; and Al Berard, 1,058.5.
The youth pumpkin division consisted of Paris Pierpont, 912.5 pounds; Catherine Lopresti, 620; and Tanner Griffin, 422.5. Miki De Palma had a 431-pound exhibition pumpkin.
The adult squash division had six entries: Joe Post, 1,137 pounds; Joseph Gaboury, 1,006.5; Al Berard, 785.5; Richard and Sue Powell, 550.5; Russ Holmes, 475; and Matt Holmes, 458.
Charlie Lopresti (left) and Joseph Gaboury await the weight reveal of Gaboury’s pumpkin during the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest’s annual giant pumpkin weigh-off at Pinkham’s Plantation on Sunday, Oct. 1. (Maia Zewert photo)
The volunteer grower weigh-off was held Saturday, Sept. 30. The top 10 finishers in the adult division were Ethan Spear, 726 pounds; Mary Trescot, 720.5; Dave Patnaude, 707; Quincy Perry, 690; David Blackman/Boothbay Railway Village, 554.5; Rick Berg, 528; Crystal Miller, 449.5; Alice Bean Andrenyak, 435.5; Mary Trescot, 427; and Mary Trescot, 395.5.
The top 10 finishers in the youth division were Eliza and Eliot Prock, 273 pounds; Quincy Perry, 219.5; Cole Kass, 141.5; Cora Kass, 140.5; Andrew Ayers, 100.5; Matthew Sikorski, 67; Andrew Ayers, 66; James Sikorski, 56; Canon Kass, 55.5; and Charlotte Sikorski, 48.5.
For complete weigh-off results, find the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta on Facebook.
The weigh-offs mark the beginning of this year’s Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta. For more information and a schedule of events, go to damariscottapumpkinfest.com.
