By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — The Circleville Pumpkin Show in the heart of Ohio is much more than just four days of parades, rides, and vendors selling edible goodies made from pumpkins.

There’s a friendly battle going on among growers of this fall squash, as folks in Pickaway County crave to be crowned holder of the largest pumpkin grown.

Dr. Bob Liggett and his wife, Jo, took the top prize of $2,000 at the 113th annual event, with a pumpkin that weighed 1,421.5 pounds. It was Bob Liggett’s 12th victory since he started competing in 1996.

“This year I used the seeds from a world record-setting pumpkin that weighed 2,528 pounds,” he revealed. “I actually grew just one seed from that pumpkin. I have a method of growing these large pumpkins, which is about 99 percent successful.

“It never gets old. In fact, this is fun and exciting. The fun part is trying to get them off the trailer. They’re not real fragile, but if you hit a bump driving to the show, they’ll split on you.”

In addition to being bombarded with congratulatory words at this month’s show, Liggett was hit with questions about his growing methods. He refuses to give details of his secrets.

“Everybody has a different idea on how to do something, and I’m one of those people who listens, and if it makes sense and it might help me then I’m likely to try it,” he said.

“This year we had a rabbit problem in the Circleville area and those animals started eating the pumpkins. A grower from Michigan advised me to cover them with white bed sheet. The animals are confused by the sheets and won’t get involved with a fabric when trying to get to the fruit.”

Liggett took first place in 1996, 2002, and 2004, then grew the largest pumpkins from 2007-12. His pumpkin in 2014 weighed in at 1,964 pounds and that mark has never been surpassed. He won again in 2016, but failed to hit the podium in 2017 and 2018.

“The last two years were bad for growing,” he explained. “Sometimes things don’t work out, as one might have a fungus on the plants – many different things can happen.”

This famed and unique agricultural exhibit and street fair has its humble origins in October 1903, when then-Mayor George R. Haswell conceived the idea of holding a small exhibit in front of his house on West Main Street. Now it is the sixth-largest festival in the United States, with an average four-day attendance of 300,000.

Pumpkin 1 –

DR. BOB LIGGETT (left) is crowned champion at the 113th annual Circleville Pumpkin Show in Ohio last week, with a pumpkin weighing 1,412.5 pounds. His granddaughter, Bella Liggett (right), finished third overall; hers weighed 1,150.5 pounds.

(Doug Graves photo)

Pumpkin 2 –

RIGHT UP TO WEIGH TIME growers of these monster squash keep the connecting vines moist to prevent cracking before they’re weighed.

(Doug Graves photo)

Pumpkin 3 –

A CRANE IS USED to hoist each gigantic pumpkin onto a scale. Pickup trucks with these large pumpkins in tow line Main Street in Circleville, waiting their turn at the scales.

(Doug Graves photo)

Pumpkin 4 –

AFTER EACH PUMPKIN is weighed, volunteers paint the weight on the pumpkin before displaying it in the heart of town.

(Doug Graves photo)

Pumpkin 5 –

SQUASH AND GOURDS of all shapes and sizes take center stage every third Wednesday in October. This was the 113th annual show in Circleville, Ohio.

(Doug Graves photo)

Pumpkin 6 –

LINDSEY’S BAKERY in the heart of Circleville boasts the world’s largest pumpkin pie. It measures 14 feet across and includes 360 pounds of sugar, 795 pounds of pumpkin, 60 pounds of powdered milk, 60 dozen eggs, 75 gallons of water, and 400 pounds of flour. It takes 15 people and 10 hours to bake.

(Doug Graves photo)