Nation’s largest squash weighed at Pumpkinfest

Hundreds of people started their Pumpkinfest celebrations eating pancakes served up by the Friends of Wellington Museum, then stayed for the parade, fun and the business of giant vegetables and fruit.

The nation’s largest squash was weighed in at Wellington’s festivities. An entry from Todd Kline, of Shawville, Quebec weighed in at 1,533.5 pounds – just shy of the world record at 1,578 pounds. He also grew this year’s heaviest Canadian pumpkin, weighing 1,733 lbs at the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest. The world record leader is Ron Wallace of the USA whose pumpkin weighed 2,230.5 pounds.

Al Eaton, of Richmond, holds the new world record long gourd – at 149.5″. It was on display at the Wellington weigh-off site.

Harvey Sproule, of Ormstown, Quebec won first place for the heaviest giant pumpkin at 1,654 pounds. His cousins Jim and Kelsey Bryson, set the world record at Wellington in 2011 with a pumpkin weighing in at 1,818.5 pounds.

County grower Christopher Bell, of Consecon, placed ninth with his 861.5 pound pumpkin. He received the Bill Greer Memorial Award for the Heaviest PEC grown pumpkin and also the Award for Heaviest Pumpkin grown by a 4H member.

Greer weighed in the first pumpkin in the world weighing over 1,000 pounds and as a result of his success, Pumpkinfest was born in 1997.

The Langridge family, of Sandy Hook Road, were multiple prize winners with Dan and Annette and their daughters Shannon and Sarah winning multiple awards in many categories – including the Howard Dill Award for prettiest pumpkin over 600 pounds, awarded to Dan’s entry which weighed in at 748 pounds.

All the giant watermelons were County-grown. Northport’s Connor Foster grew the largest at 100 pounds. (Full results below)

The Friends of Wellington Museum served up hundreds of pancake breakfasts.

Wellington Library book sale a popular stop at Pumpkinfest

Charlie the alpaca with Chloe

A relaxing day by the water at Wellington Park.

Happy with face painting by The Hub Child Care Centre artists.

Northport Zombies won a parade prize.

Wellington Rescue float earned a plaque in the parade

Lions Walk for Guide Dogs prize winners in the parade

Wellington on the Lake Kazoo Band one of four parade winners.

Noah McGill with second place watermelon.

Connor Foster with first place watermelon.

Giant Rutabaga being trimmed for weigh off.

Full results from PEC Pumpkinfest:

Heaviest Giant Pumpkin
1st Harley Sproule Ormstown, QC 1654 lbs
2nd Chris Lyons Scarborough, On 1332 lbs
3rd Phil Joynson Enniskillen, ON 1315.5 lbs
4th James Reid Martintown, ON 1306.5 lbs
5th Gerry Cavanagh Ennismore, ON 1232 lbs
6th Mark Fox Cornwall, ON 1076.5 lbs
7th Ashley Hickey Godfrey, ON 1011 lbs
8th Norm Kyle Ennismore, ON 989.5 lbs
9th Christopher Bell Consecon, ON 861.5 lbs
10th Mike Rusenstom Bristol, QC 773.5 lbs
11th Dan Langridge Picton, ON 748 lbs
12th Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 616 lbs
13th Annette Langridge Picton, ON 605.5 lbs
14th Sarah Langaridge Picton, ON 569 lbs
15th Mathieu Desjardins Picton, ON 448 lbs
16th Noah McGill Picton, ON 408.5 lbs
17th Connor Foster Picton, ON 382.5 lbs
18th Tan Ho Picton, ON 367 lbs

Heaviest Giant Squash
1st Todd Kline Shawville, QC 1533.5 lbs
2nd Greg Montgomery Port Carling, ON 771 lbs
3rd Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 322 lbs

Heaviest Field Pumpkin
1st Reese & Gavin Rusenstrom Bristol, QC 90 lbs
2nd Dan Langridge Picton, ON 83.5 lbs
3rd Chris Lyons Scarborough, On 79 lbs
4th Mathieu Desjardins Picton, ON 73.5 lbs
5th Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 71 lbs
6th Annette Langridge Picton, ON 68.5 lbs
7th Sarah Langaridge Picton, ON 68 lbs
8th Mike Rusenstom Bristol, QC 67 lbs
9th Ashley Hickey Godfrey, ON 65 lbs
10th Tan Ho Picton, ON 59 lbs
11th James Reid Martintown, ON 52 lbs

Long Gourd
1st Al Eaton Richmond, ON 136.5″
2nd Todd Kline Shawville, QC 125.25″
3rd Brant and Brandon Timm Pembroke, ON 83.125″

Giant Tomato
1st Brant and Brandon Timm Pembroke, ON 5.82 lbs
2nd Chris Lyons Scarborough, On 3.74 lbs
exh Brant and Brandon Timm Pembroke, ON 4.08 lbs
exh Brant and Brandon Timm Pembroke, ON 4.03 lbs
exh Brant and Brandon Timm Pembroke, ON 4.53 lbs

Giant Watermelon
1st Connor Foster Picton, ON 100 lbs
2nd Noah McGill Picton, ON 70 lbs
3rd Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 52 lbs
4th Annette Langridge Picton, ON 50 lbs
5th Mathieu Desjardins Picton, ON 39.5 lbs
6th Dan Langridge Picton, ON 34 lbs

Giant Cabbage
1st James Reid Martintown, ON 32 lbs
2nd Jim & Kelsey Bryson Ormstown, QC 30 lbs
3rd Mark Fox Cornwall, ON 23.5 lbs

Tallest Sunflower
1st Jim & Kelsey Bryson Ormstown, QC 245.5
2nd James Reid Martintown, ON 226
3rd Mark Fox Cornwall, ON 194
4th Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 123
5th Mathieu Desjardins Picton, ON 122.5
6th Dan Langridge Picton, ON 119
7th Annette Langridge Picton, ON 116

Giant Rutabaga
1st James Reid Martintown, ON 70 lbs
2nd Chris Lyons Scarborough, On 54 lbs
3rd Mark Fox Cornwall, ON 52 lbs

Other-Kohl Rabi
1st Phil Joynson Enniskillen, ON 16.66 lbs

Bill Greer Memorial Award Heaviest PEC Grown Pumpkin
1st Christopher Bell Consecon, ON 861.5 lbs
2nd Dan Langridge Picton, ON 748 lbs
3rd Shannon Langridge Picton, ON 616 lbs

Howard Dill Award – Prettiest Pumpkin over 600 lbs
Dan Langridge Picton, ON 748 lbs

4-H Award for Heaviest Pumpkin Grown by a 4-H Member
Christopher Bell Consecon, ON 861.5 lbs