It’s the Great Pumpkin, North Tampa, at least the greatest in Florida this year

If only Linus had known the greatest of all pumpkins was arriving at a North Tampa market, he could have saved himself a lot of sleep and even some embarrassment, while his Halloween might have been a little more enjoyable in the Peanuts cartoon classic.

But an 868-pound pumpkin has been transported to Bearss Grove on Lake Magdalene Boulevard in the northern Tampa Bay metro area. The family market is now home to Florida’s most giant pumpkin this Halloween season.

While Florida’s claim of hosting the biggest pumpkin in the state is bold during Halloween, it’s not really Florida’s right to boast about its origins.

According to a Bearss news release, the great pumpkin actually hails from Indiana.

“The 868-pound pumpkin was purchased and transported from Indiana,” the Bearss news release said.

The great pumpkin arrived in North Tampa on Friday. Immediately after its arrival, schoolchildren congregated around it, making it an instant curiosity in the area.

“A group of Pre-K students from Corbett Preparatory School of IDS were the first to experience Florida’s largest pumpkin. The children watched as the 868-pound pumpkin was transported by tractor and placed in front of the farm stand. According to the Child Mind Institute, outdoor play and nature builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility, encourages physical activity, and reduces stress and fatigue,” the Bearrs news release said.

While the Bearss Grove pumpkin is a great and big one, and it is currently the largest in Florida, it’s still outweighed by the greatest pumpkin recorded about a year ago.

According to a report from The Associated Press, the greatest pumpkin was celebrated in October 2023 when a gourd weighing 2,749 pounds was recorded at an event in Half Moon Bay, California. The jack-o-lantern was grown in Minnesota by horticulture teacher Travis Gienger, who set the world record at the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in the California coastal town.