Kelowna grower Abbate’s giant pumpkin weighing 1,485 pounds, wins British Columbia’s 2026 contest

Abbate said he spent several hours each day looking after the plant (Giant Pumpkins British Columbia photo) A giant pumpkin grown by Kelowna resident Jordan Abbate won the 2026 B C Giant Pumpkin Contest in Langley, on Saturday, with just one pound separating the top two entries. Abbate’s pumpkin weighed 1,485 pounds, while Team Halliday’s entry came in at 1,484 pounds.The contest was held at Krause Berry Farm in Langley. According to Castanet, Abbate’s win was also a first for the B C Interior, as no grower from the region had previously won the event in its 13-year history.The winning pumpkin was the result of about six months of regular care. Abbate said he spent several hours each day looking after the plant, including watering, pruning and caring for the soil. The work continued even through winter as he prepared the soil for the growing season.Abbate, however, was not very confident about winning before the weigh-off. After learning that his pumpkin had taken first place, he said he was "very satisfied".A global competitionThe B C Giant Pumpkin Contest is the only competition in British Columbia sanctioned by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, an international organisation that s...