A 2,598-pound pumpkin took the New England giant-gourd title at this year’s Topsfield Fair. Woody Lancaster of Topsfield won the 42nd All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in his final competition, beating the fair record set last year by 91 pounds.

The weigh-off is a lighthearted marker of the region’s fall fair season, but it also reflects a lot of patience and careful growing: a difference of 91 pounds is enough to turn a local tradition into a new record.

NorthEast News covers the small and large developments that shape life around New England. Read our report on the record-setting pumpkin and its hometown grower: https://www.northenews.com/article.html?slug=topsfield-fair-2598-pound-pumpkin-record-2026

A record pumpkin puts Topsfield in the New England spotlight