It’s an Alaska thing: Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off

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The winningest pumpkin for the Alaska State Fair in 2024 was the ginormous orange gourd entered by Anchorage grower Dale Marshall, who defended his title for the 18th annual Alaska Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

The 2,035-pound pumpkin was the 16th time that Marshall has had an entry into the competition.

In 2022, his winning pumpkin weighed 2,147 pounds, breaking all previous records. In 2023, he again brought the winner in; it was 2,023.5 pounds at weigh-in.

Dale Marshall and his winning pumpkin. Photo credit: Alaska State Fair.

Second place went to father-son duo Seth and Silas Dinkel, who had their first fair entry ever in the pumpkin category. Theirs weighed in at 734 pounds.

The giant cabbage weigh-off takes place Friday at 6 p.m.

The fair is closed on Tuesday and Thursday and ends Sept. 2. Find out more about the iconic Alaska State Fair here.

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    Suzanne Downing founded Must Read Alaska and served as its editor for many years. Her prolific writing spans nearly every topic meaningful to Alaskans. Before founding Must Read Alaska, she served as editor of the Juneau Empire and as a speechwriter for Governor Sean Parnell.

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