Father and daughter team, Jim and Kelsey Bryson from Ormstown, Quebec, were awarded the prize for this year's heaviest pumpkin October 2, weighing in at 1,777.5 lbs.
Hub Staff
A live and virtual Pumpkinfest 2021 was held on a warm and partly sunny weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 2 and 3.
Dubbed “The Best of Both Worlds,” the 2021 festival featured the Bruce Power Giant Vegetable Weigh Off, a midway with rides, games and sweets; craft and food vendors, virtual and live car shows, a virtual celebrity seed spitting competition, and a virtual version of the Bruce Telecom Harvest Star Search Competition.
The star of the show, the winning pumpkin weighed in at 1,777.5 lbs and was thanks to father and daughter team, Jim and Kelsey Bryson, from Ormstown, Quebec.
Tiverton's Bob and Elaine MacKenzie took fourth place coming in only 30 lbs below the winners at 1747.5 lbs.
The winning squash was from Todd Kline of Shawville, Quebec at 1126 lbs with third and fourth place both going to Port Elgin growers, Courtney McGuire (568.5 lbs) and Doug Court (542 lbs) respectively.
Local growers also took the top three spots for the biggest watermelons. Courtney McGuire at 160 lbs, Doug Court at 140 lbs, both from Port Elgin; and Tiverton's Bob and Elaine MacKenzie at 126.5 lbs.
Local growers, Bob and Elaine MacKenzie from Tiverton, took fourth place with their giant pumpkin, coming in only 30lbs below the winning vegetable at 1747.50 lbs.
With the growers' tent not accessible to the the general public, Pumpkinfest Master of Ceremonies Dave Middleton introduced growers and vegetables via live stream.
Growers brought their giant vegetables from near and far to be officially weighed at this year's Pumpkinfest October 2 and 3.
This year car enthusiasts could view the Cinderella's Carriage Car Show live in downtown Port Elgin, or online with a virtual car show.
As usual the midway rides were a popular destination at Pumpkinfest.
Saugeen Shores Fire Department hosted their Junior Firefighter Challenge.
The Gable Express took children for rides in front of the Port Elgin Missionary Church within the Pumpkinfest village.
Pumpkinfest volunteers carefully manoeuvred one of this year's giant pumpkins.