3,156-pound pumpkin grown in Rhode Island could break world record

This is truly the Great Pumpkin -- certainly, the heaviest.

A Rhode Island man is staking a claim to a world record for the heaviest pumpkin, presenting a 3,156-pounder on Saturday at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Warren, WFXT reported.

Ron Wallace, of Coventry, entered the giant gourd, which squashed other competitors at the annual event.

Now the pumpkin will have to be certified by Guinness World Records to claim its place in the pumpkin pantheon.

“It’s truly massive, it was a pleasure to grow,” Wallace told The Associated Press on Monday by phone.

The current record, which was certified on Oct. 3, is 2,856 pounds, presented by United Kingdom resident Ian Paton, Guinness notes.

The pumpkin was entered in the Wargrave Nursery Giant Vegetable Weigh-off in Berkshire and was nicknamed “Bagheera” after the panther character in children’s book “The Jungle Book.”

Wallace is no stranger to setting records with pumpkins.

According to WPRI, in 2012, Wallace became the first person to grow a pumpkin that exceeded 2,000 pounds. He also grew a then-record 2,114-pounder in 2019, the television station reported.

Wallace pocketed $3,500 for his giant gourd, the AP reported. He described his excitement at winning the contest near his hometown.

“I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded,” Wallace told the news organization.

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