Lopresti Shatters State Record for Largest Pumpkin

Charlie Lopresti, chief meteorologist for WGME CBS 13, smashed the state record for largest pumpkin with a 2,365.5-pound effort, 244 pounds more than the previous record of 2,125.5 pounds set by Edwin Pierpont, of Jefferson, in 2021.

A crowd of around 40 competitors and spectators turned out for this year’s Great Pumpkin Commonwealth weigh-off at the Louis Doe Home Center in Newcastle on Sunday, Oct. 6. The weigh-off for professional growers followed a volunteer weigh-off at the same location Saturday, Oct. 5.

When Lopresti, longtime master of ceremonies for the weigh-off, hauled his record-breaker in on a trailer, it quickly became apparent the only barrier to his pumpkin had to the first place in the adult giant pumpkin category was making it to the scale.

Volunteers saved Lopresti’s pumpkin for last not only for suspense, but also so they could figure out how to lift it out of the trailer and onto the 4-foot-by-4-foot scale without damaging the pumpkin.

“They’ve got to come up with bigger scales now,” said Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta volunteer and former state record holder for largest pumpkin Tom Lishness, of Windsor. “We’re going to have to, sooner or later.”

Lopresti, now a four-time Damariscotta champion, said his wife, Morningstar, and daughters, Catherine and Maris, play a big part in growing pumpkins for him.

“It’s usually a family affair,” said Lopresti, of Buxton. “Kids get involved. The wives get involved. Husbands get involved and usually, if I’m at work, my wife might be covering the pumpkin for me, or in some circumstances, my wife has actually helped me pollinate (the pumpkin).”

Sarah Whitty’s 1,593.5-pound pumpkin, named Martha Stewart, was the second largest pumpkin of the day and won the Howard Dill Award for best looking pumpkin.

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Whitty, of Veazie, won awards for largest marrow at 57.5 pounds and largest bushel gourd at 118 pounds as the only entrant for both categories.

Whitty’s marrow was her backup, and she said it was “heartbreaking” when her first 116-pound plant split. Whitty said she did not expect her only bushel gourd seed to germinate, but she was happy that it did.

“They prefer warm weather, so they’re not the best for Maine, but I’m pretty happy with that,” she said.

Whitty also won the award for largest tomato at 2.41 pounds with her only competition coming from Gradeigh Cameron, of Naples, at 1.83 pounds.

“This is exciting because I don’t think we’ve had this diversity in vegetables – or fruit, I should say – at Pumpkinfest before,” Lopresti said.

Only one other pumpkin, belonging to Richard Powell, of Nobleboro, broke the 1,000-pound mark this year.

Pierpont won first in the adult giant squash category with his 1,352-pound creation. A squash, according to Lopresti, must have an entirely green coloration to qualify.

Pierpont said last year’s wet weather led him to put forward a worse product than usual.

Elroy Morgan, of Charleston, won first place for long gourds with a 126-inch, or 10.5-foot. effort, which was shy of his state record-setting 150.88-inch, or approximately 12.5-foot, gourd in 2023.

Morgan said long gourds must be grown on a trellis, because if they are grown on the ground, they curl.

Bill Mackowski, of Milford, won the award for largest field pumpkin at 142 pounds. Lopresti described field pumpkins as a more traditional jack-o’-lantern style pumpkin.

Seven-year-old Addison Tibbetts, of Standish, was the only participant in the youth giant pumpkin and youth field pumpkin categories. Her giant pumpkin weighed 433 pounds and her field pumpkin weighed 62.5 pounds. Tibbetts said her first giant pumpkin split because it took too much water from the rain.

Pumpkins from both weigh-offs will be transformed into boats and art for the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta, which runs through Monday, Oct. 15. For more information and an event schedule, go to damariscottapumpkinfest.com.