A 727-pound pumpkin was the winner at the 13th Annual Central Coast Great Pumpkin and Scarecrow Contest.
The contest was held Thursday evening in Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo.
Bill Quirk took home the $3,000 grand prize with his 727-pound pumpkin.
Joyce Edwards came in second with a 521-pound pumpkin, Randy Pharr came in third with a 386-pound pumpkin, Rhonda Spear came in fourth with a 305-pound pumpkin, and Rick Tibben came in fifth with a 258-pound pumpkin.
“It’s difficult to grow if you want to really get a big one because it’s a ton of work for about five and a half, six months. You’re kind of married to the plant,” said Tibben.
Growers say it takes several types of fertilizers to grow the giant pumpkins.
The record for the largest pumpkin grown in the Central Coast competition was 1,065 pounds in 2009.
There were also competitions held for carved pumpkins, scarecrows, and the most unusual pumpkin.
