Pumpkin record smashed at Roxburgh

Roxburgh siblings Fletcher (3, left) and Charlotte McNeish (8) inspect one of the entries in the heaviest pumpkin competition during the Roxburgh Pumpkin Festival on Saturday. Photo: Yvonne O'Hara

A giant pumpkin grown from a seed thrown into a garden rubbish pile set a record at the annual Roxburgh Pumpkin Festival on Saturday.

The 133kg pumpkin was more than twice the weight of any previous winning pumpkin, Roxburgh and Districts Lions Club festival convener Wendy Black, of Roxburgh, said.

The pumpkin was grown by Liz Jones, who said she had thrown the seed into their rubbish pile in the garden "and it grew and grew and grew", Mrs Black said.

Organisers were pleased with the success of the event, which had good numbers of entries in the pumpkin carving and decorating, scarecrow-making, baking, and heaviest-pumpkin competitions, she said.Organisers held pumpkin-related games, including pumpkin stacking, and rolling apples into a hoop.

"The kids who were there had a ball and it was really funny," she said.

All the pumpkin seeds people used to grow entries in the competition were provided by Darryl Peirce, of The Pumpkin Place, in the Teviot Valley.

Mrs Black said they had considered holding the festival at the Roxburgh sportsgrounds, but as the flooding last November had damaged the grass, they decided to remain at the Roxburgh Racecourse.

However, moving the festival to the more central grounds would be something they would consider next year.

yvonne.ohara@alliedpress.co.nz