RHODE ISLAND GIANT PUMPKIN CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR OCTOBER 7

PROVIDENCE – The seventh annual Rhode Island Giant Pumpkin Championship will be held on Saturday, October 7 at Frerichs Farm in Warren. Unloading of the biggest pumpkins grown in Rhode Island will begin at 10 a.m. with the weigh-off scheduled for 1 p.m. In case of rain, the championship will take place on Sunday, October 8.

Stephen Volpe, DEM's Deputy Chief of Resource Marketing, said, "We encourage everyone to bring the whole family for a day of enjoyment and a view of the biggest pumpkins you have ever seen. Don't forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on during the weigh-off. We’re anticipating that a new Rhode Island record will be set."

The increasingly popular event is sponsored by the Rhode Island Pumpkin Growers Association and the Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing to determine the largest pumpkin grown in the state each year and to crown an annual Rhode Island champion.

The record for the largest pumpkin grown in Rhode Island was set in 1998 by Warren Cole of Warwick, with a 920-pound pumpkin at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts.

Those interested in competing in this year’s event or receiving addition information, can contact Don Langevin of the association at 508-222-9069 or Stephen Volpe of DEM at 222-2781 ext. 4501.