Brandon Dawson Wins Top Prize at Northern California Pumpkin-Weighing Contest with 2,346-Pound Gourd

Brandon Dawson, a manufacturing engineer and passionate gardener from Santa Rosa, California, has claimed a well-earned victory at the 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay. His enormous pumpkin, tipping the scales at an astonishing 2,346 pounds (1,064 kilograms), earned him the top prize of $20,000 and a celebrated place in one of Northern California’s most beloved harvest traditions.

The victory marked a personal triumph for Brandon Dawson, who narrowly missed the championship last year by a mere six pounds. This time, his precision, patience, and family dedication paid off spectacularly, with the winning moment celebrated alongside his two young children perched proudly atop the record-breaking gourd.

The Half Moon Bay contest, a hallmark of American autumn festivities, is renowned for drawing competitive growers from across the country, all eager to showcase their colossal pumpkins. Dawson’s win this year not only crowned him champion but also underscored the remarkable blend of science, engineering, and horticultural passion that fuels the competitive pumpkin-growing community.

Engineering Precision Meets Agricultural Artistry

As a manufacturing engineer at Rivian Automotive, Brandon Dawson’s professional life revolves around precision, problem-solving, and optimization—skills that translated seamlessly into his gardening hobby. He began growing giant pumpkins five years ago, and since then, his backyard patch has become both a personal laboratory and a family playground. His methodical approach to cultivation—meticulous watering, nutrient timing, and sunlight management—reflects the same analytical mindset that defines his engineering work.

Brandon Dawson credits his technical background for helping him fine-tune his growing techniques. “I’ve always loved the challenge of optimizing systems,” he said in an interview after his victory. “Growing a giant pumpkin isn’t just about dumping fertilizer and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding how every variable—soil chemistry, sunlight exposure, water retention—interacts to drive growth.”

For him, the process is as rewarding as the result. The sheer pace of pumpkin growth, sometimes as rapid as 50 to 70 pounds (23 to 32 kilograms) a day, offers a tangible sense of progress that few hobbies can match. Dawson and his family spend hours in the garden, measuring and monitoring the gourd’s expansion, adjusting irrigation schedules, and protecting the delicate skin from heat or pests. This fusion of technical skill and natural wonder transforms what might seem like a simple gardening project into a disciplined yet joyous pursuit of agricultural excellence.

Brandon Dawson, an engineer from Santa Rosa, California, crushed the competition at Half Moon Bay’s pumpkin weigh-off with a 2,346-pound gourd. See the massive pumpkin in action. pic.twitter.com/VuvxqB2e2J

— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) October 15, 2025

Such dedication is not uncommon among competitive pumpkin growers. Many contestants in Half Moon Bay’s legendary weigh-off are engineers, horticulturists, or scientists who treat their pumpkins as both biological marvels and data-driven projects. The use of advanced soil analysis, custom irrigation systems, and even genetic optimization of seeds has elevated the sport to a fascinating intersection of science and tradition. In Dawson’s case, his engineering mindset—precise, systematic, and patient—provided the edge he needed to succeed where he fell just short the year before.

Family Roots and the Joy of Growing Together

While the technical aspects of Dawson’s victory are impressive, what makes his story truly heartwarming is the family dimension of his success. Dawson’s children, four-year-old Ayla and two-year-old Roman, play a central role in his gardening life. The pumpkin patch is their shared space of discovery, curiosity, and delight. As Dawson explains, “We like to spend time out in the patch and watch the thing grow.” For his children, the garden has become a classroom under the open sky—a place to observe nature’s rhythms and the rewards of patience and care.

This year’s victory was especially meaningful for Ayla, who, at four years old, can now fully appreciate the extraordinary process behind her father’s passion. “My 4-year-old now can really pay attention to the growing process,” Dawson said proudly. Watching a pumpkin expand by dozens of pounds each day provides a captivating lesson in both biology and perseverance.

Read : Massive 2,471-Pound Pumpkin Wins World Championship Pumpkin in California

The moment of triumph in Half Moon Bay captured this family spirit perfectly. After Dawson’s win was announced, he lifted his children onto the massive orange gourd, their laughter echoing across the fairgrounds as cameras flashed. It was a tableau that embodied the essence of the event—a celebration not just of size and strength, but of community, creativity, and shared joy.

Half Moon Bay’s pumpkin weigh-off has always been more than a competition; it is a festival of family and friendship, symbolizing the abundance of the harvest season. For many participants, the event’s greatest reward is not the cash prize but the camaraderie among fellow growers and the chance to inspire younger generations. Dawson’s story, filled with hard work, near misses, and eventual triumph, resonates deeply with that tradition. It shows that even in a high-stakes contest of agricultural prowess, the most enduring legacy lies in the memories made with loved ones along the way.

The Legacy of the Half Moon Bay Weigh-Off and the Pursuit of Pumpkin Greatness

The World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, located just south of San Francisco, is often referred to as the “Super Bowl of Pumpkins.” Each October, growers from across North America transport their giant gourds—sometimes weighing more than a ton—to the scenic coastal town to vie for glory and record-breaking honors. The pumpkins are carefully lifted by forklifts onto massive industrial scales, while the crowd cheers in anticipation of the numbers flashing across the display.

Dawson’s victory in 2025 adds another chapter to the contest’s storied history. The competition began more than five decades ago, and over the years it has evolved from a local harvest celebration into a globally recognized spectacle of horticultural achievement. Each winner not only earns prize money but also the right to be enshrined among the elite growers whose pumpkins have redefined the limits of agricultural possibility.

Last year, Dawson’s entry came tantalizingly close to the top spot, finishing second behind Minnesota horticulture teacher Travis Gienger, whose 2,471-pound (1,121-kilogram) pumpkin secured the 2024 title. Gienger is something of a legend in the pumpkin-growing world. In 2023, he set a world record at the very same contest with a gargantuan 2,749-pound (1,247-kilogram) pumpkin—the heaviest ever officially recorded at the time.

Though Gienger’s entry this year was thwarted when his pumpkin sustained damage earlier in the season, his record remains a benchmark for all growers. However, the competitive landscape continues to evolve. Earlier this month, two brothers in England broke Gienger’s 2023 record with a pumpkin weighing 2,819 pounds (1,278 kilograms), underscoring the truly international nature of giant pumpkin cultivation. From Europe to North America, the pursuit of ever-larger gourds has become a friendly yet fervent race of innovation and dedication.

For participants like Dawson, the Half Moon Bay contest represents both a personal challenge and a celebration of community spirit. The growers often exchange seeds, share growing tips, and support one another through setbacks such as weather damage or pest infestations. Despite the fierce competition, there is a deep sense of solidarity among them, rooted in mutual respect for the immense effort it takes to raise a pumpkin of record-breaking size.

Dawson’s triumph is a testament to perseverance. Having lost by just six pounds in 2024, he returned this year with renewed determination and refined techniques. His 2,346-pound pumpkin may not have broken world records, but it captured the heart of the competition—symbolizing the rewards of passion, patience, and persistence. The win also places him among the few growers to have achieved consecutive top finishes at the world’s most prestigious pumpkin event.

The significance of these colossal pumpkins extends beyond competition. For the public, they are symbols of wonder and imagination—massive, brightly colored marvels that ignite the festive spirit of autumn. For growers, they are the result of months of dedication: soil preparation in spring, careful pollination in summer, and vigilant protection from rot or heat stress through early autumn. Every pound gained reflects a day’s labor and learning.

As Dawson’s pumpkin was lifted by forklift and set onto the contest scale, the crowd’s anticipation mirrored the emotional weight of that moment. When the final number—2,346—appeared, a wave of cheers erupted. Dawson raised his arms in triumph, his children by his side, a picture of family pride and fulfillment.

The Half Moon Bay contest continues to be a beacon for growers who push the limits of what nature and nurture can achieve together. It is an event where science, craftsmanship, and community converge—a reminder that even in the modern age of technology, there is still room for age-old agricultural marvels to capture the world’s attention.

For Brandon Dawson, this victory marks not just a personal milestone but a celebration of shared dreams and dedication. His story exemplifies how a combination of engineering expertise, family involvement, and an enduring love for the earth can lead to extraordinary results. In a world often driven by speed and efficiency, his patient cultivation of a 2,346-pound pumpkin stands as a gentle yet powerful statement about the rewards of steady effort and curiosity.

From the first seed planted to the jubilant cheers of the Half Moon Bay crowd, Dawson’s journey reflects the timeless connection between human ingenuity and nature’s generosity. And as his children sat smiling atop their father’s winning gourd—a symbol of growth, persistence, and joy—it was clear that this victory was more than a contest win. It was a harvest of dreams nurtured by hands both young and wise, grounded in soil and sustained by love.