2024 Giant Pumpkin Festival takes over Center Street

Center Street was buzzing with energy at the 2024 Pumpkin Festival. Anderson’s Seed & Garden hosted the Giant Pumpkin Festival for the second year on Sept. 28. 

The festival was all about giant pumpkins, and the main event was the giant pumpkin weigh-off. Last year’s competition had 20 pumpkins entered, the winning pumpkin being 1,784 pounds.  

David Hall is the manager at Anderson’s Seed & Garden. 

In preparation for this event, Hall found a few pumpkins were ready to shatter last year’s record. 

“We have already confirmed a couple pumpkins over 2,000 pounds,” Hall said. 

Out of 28 pumpkins, the winning pumpkin was grown by Ralph and Juana Laub, weighing 2,289 pounds. 

Hall said the pumpkin broke the state of Utah’s record weight by two pounds. 

Ronnette and Mark Anderson are the co-owners of Anderson’s Seed & Garden.  

Ronnette Anderson said the event is a great opportunity for pumpkin farmers to come and showcase their giant pumpkins for festival attendees. 

“The growers put so much time into growing the pumpkins and to see people that can appreciate it,”  Ronnette Anderson said. “They loved it.”   

One of the lines of pumpkins at the Giant Pumpkin Festival on Center Street on Saturday, September 28th.

Mark Anderson expressed how much Anderson’s Seed & Garden cares about the growers who bring their pumpkins to this event. He said they try their best to create an entertaining festival. 

“Our festival is unique in the fact that we know how hard it is for the growers who are participating in this to grow the pumpkins. So we have made it a really special experience for them,” Mark Anderson said. “We have things going on for the growers to stay engaged since they are the ones that stay all day.” 

The giant pumpkins were on display for attendees to see throughout the event.  

“We had photo opportunities for our growers as well as photo opportunities for the attendees,” Mark Anderson said. 

 Hall said last year’s festival was a huge success.  

“Last year, we anticipated maybe 2,000 people, and we were blown away by around 20,000 people showing up,” Hall said. 

After the success, Anderson’s Seed & Garden was ready for a large turnout this year, with 128 vendors offering food, shopping and activities. 

“Everything has increased in volume,” Ronnette Anderson said. “Our vendors have doubled. The activities have more than doubled.”  

“It’s a big party with music, movies, food and fun. It’s just a great place to be at a time of year where it’s fun to be outside,” Mark Anderson said. “It’s all about having some fun with your family and with giant pumpkins.” 

The festival had activities for all ages, with food trucks, a vendor market, face painting, local art, pumpkin carving stations, pumpkin decorating, a family scavenger hunt, a beer garden, the giant pumpkin weigh-off and more. 

“We created an event that lets you spend the whole day doing something, hitting all the activities that we’ve created,” Ronnette Anderson said. “It is very family-oriented.”  

Anderson’s Seed & Garden plans to continue the event next year.  

“It motivates us to be able to do something that can bring the community together,” Ronnette Anderson said. “Bringing the community has such a better payout for us versus being a business owner.”  

Next year’s festival will be hosted on Center Street on Sept. 27, 2025.