Ontario’s giant vegetable weigh-offs are more than a contest to find the biggest pumpkin. Growers gather to have pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, gourds and other crops weighed or measured, compare their seasons, and meet people who understand the unusual challenge of growing giants. For visitors, these events are a chance to see serious horticulture up close.
What happens at a giant vegetable weigh-off?
Competition organizers set categories, registration requirements, judging procedures and rules for whether an entry qualifies. Events may measure tall plants and long gourds as well as weigh pumpkins and squash. Rules are not interchangeable: Port Elgin Pumpkinfest explains that its Saturday and Sunday weigh-offs count as separate official events, while Woodbridge Fall Fair publishes its own entry information.
- Visitors can watch entries arrive and learn how judging and official results work. Check the organizer’s admission and public-access arrangements.
- Competitors should read the current event’s official rules before transporting an entry; registration, eligibility and how entries are handled can vary.
- Results should be taken from the organizer or sanctioning body, not estimated from photographs.
Ontario weigh-offs to know
Port Elgin Pumpkinfest — October 3–4, 2026
Port Elgin hosts international giant-vegetable weigh-offs in its fall Pumpkinfest program. Its published 2026 results list pumpkins, squash, tall sunflowers and other categories. These dates have passed; use the festival website for future announcements, rather than assuming the 2027 competition dates.
Woodbridge Fall Fair — giant vegetable weigh-in October 10, 2026
Woodbridge Fair scheduled its giant vegetable weigh-in for noon on Saturday, October 10 during the 2026 fair. The fair’s official schedule and competition information are the appropriate references for that completed event. Follow the organizer for a future year; the 2027 schedule is not yet confirmed here.
Other Ontario competitions and grower networks
Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario (GVGO) keeps links to weigh-off locations and recorded results. The association indicates that 2027 weigh-off details will be posted in the spring as they become available. Its resources and grower community can be more useful than an outdated third-party event listing.
A look at the 2026 Port Elgin results
The official Pumpkinfest leaderboard records Todd Kline’s 1,542.5 lb pumpkin as the first-place pumpkin. John Butler of St. Thomas placed second in pumpkins at 1,489 lb, won the giant-squash category with 1,086.5 lb, and topped the tallest-sunflower category at 278.5 inches (a little over 23 feet). Those are public competition results—not an interview or a claim about the growers’ methods.
The interesting story is not only the final weight. A competition entry is the result of a whole growing season. That makes these events relevant to gardeners who want to improve from one year to the next.
Thinking about trying giant vegetables yourself?
Growing for a weigh-off starts months before the fair. Begin by learning the crop’s basic needs, choosing a growing space, and deciding what to record. Competitive growers may use highly specialized methods; a first-time grower is better served by realistic expectations and reliable crop-specific advice than by assuming every extraordinary result can be replicated.
- Record the starting point: variety or seed source, sowing date and transplant date. Learn why planting dates matter.
- Understand your growing space: light exposure, soil drainage and weather. See how to record sun exposure.
- Keep useful observations: watering decisions, setbacks and growth over time. Build a useful garden journal.
- Review the outcome: compare your notes with what actually happened and adjust your next season’s plan. Review last season’s journal.
Where to follow the community
If you’re looking for fellow giant growers, GVGO offers a starting point for clubs, seed resources and weigh-off locations. To see other kinds of Ontario gardening events—from seed swaps to horticultural society activities—visit GrowRite’s Ontario gardening events and grower communities guide.
Sources and accuracy notes
- Port Elgin Pumpkinfest: 2026 leaderboard
- Port Elgin Pumpkinfest: official weigh-off information
- Woodbridge Fall Fair: 2026 schedule
- Woodbridge Fall Fair: giant vegetable contest information
- Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario: community and upcoming weigh-off updates
Reviewed October 27, 2026. The named 2026 competitions have concluded. Any 2027 dates, entry fees or competition rules must be verified with organizers when announced. GrowRite is not affiliated with the events or individuals named in this guide.