WC Wisconsin News

Residents in Altoona kicked off the change of season with the city's fourth annual River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin Festival, which was filled with events designed to thrill the masses.  

“We had a race this morning, a running race, a rubber ducky race for the kids,” City Administrator Mike Golat told WEAU.com. “We’ve got dessert contests, pumpkin dessert contests, and then at 3 we have our ginormous pumpkin drop where we’re going to drop a giant pumpkin filled with candy from 50 feet.”

Amid all the fun and games, one of the event’s biggest draws proved to be the eyeing of the giant pumpkins.

“Giant pumpkins are magic," Golat said. "I mean, they’re just so much fun. A kid sees them, their eyes light up, they smile. It is just something amazing and wonder, you know, wonderment when you see them.”

One of the pumpkin growers, Jim Suchanek, said his favorite part of the event is seeing people’s reactions to the oversized pumpkins.

“Asking if their kids can get on them and take a picture, that does it for me,” Suchanek said. “I love it. This is the best part of the year right now, showing it off.”

Suchanek’s biggest pumpkin this year weighed in at 1,400 pounds, while the event’s largest was just over 2,000 pounds.

“I would love to get the state record someday, which is 2,283 pounds,” Suchanek said. “I have a 1,908 pound as my biggest. I got a little work to do, but I’m confident I can do it.”

The River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin festival takes place every year on the last weekend of September. The growing process for the pumpkins kicks off as early as in April and continues up until the event.