Pumpkins that can top a ton, a $5,000 first prize and a world-record watermelon bonus: the Great Chattanooga Weigh-Off hits The Barn Nursery on Saturday, October 10, and spectators get in free.
Somewhere around Chattanooga right now, a grower is staring at a pumpkin the size of a hot tub and wondering how to get it onto a trailer. On Saturday, October 10, they will find out exactly how big it is. The Great Chattanooga Weigh-Off comes to The Barn Nursery, and anyone can walk in and watch for free.
If you have never seen a competitive giant pumpkin up close, this is the one fall outing you should not skip. These are not jack-o'-lanterns. They are lopsided, pale orange monsters that weigh as much as a small car, lifted onto a certified scale one at a time while the crowd waits for the number.
How Big Can These Things Get?
Bigger than you think. At the Nashville Fair's weigh-off on September 14, a pumpkin grown by Josh Monin of Caneyville, Kentucky, tipped the scale at 2,479 pounds. That made it the heaviest pumpkin weighed in Tennessee this year and the third largest weighed anywhere in the country, according to Franklin Is.
The Chattanooga contest is clearly built with fruit in that class in mind. The rules pay a $500 bonus for any pumpkin over 2,000 pounds, so the organizers are clearly hoping a true heavyweight rolls in Saturday morning.
What Is Up for Grabs
Per the official listing on the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth event calendar, there is real money on the line:
- Giant pumpkins and squash: $5,000 for first place, with prizes paid all the way down to 15th place. A pumpkin has to weigh at least 300 pounds to win cash.
- Giant squash: a separate prize table topping out at $800.
- Watermelons: $2,000 for first, plus a $3,000 bonus for any melon over 350.5 pounds, which would be world-record territory.
- The fun categories: tomatoes, bushel gourds, long gourds, marrows and field pumpkins, each with smaller cash prizes.
Every entry has to be grown by the person entering it, and growers have to be on site with their fruit registered by 9:30 a.m. Entry is free for growers, and winners take home custom trophies along with the cash.
Plan Your Visit
- When: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: The Barn Nursery, 1801 East 24th Street Place, right off I-24 at the 4th Avenue exit
- Cost: free admission, per Local 3 News' fall events roundup
- Questions: The Barn Nursery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and can be reached at 423-698-2276, or check their Facebook page for day-of updates.
Our tip: the biggest pumpkins usually go on the scale last, so if you want the drama of the top weight, plan to stick around into the afternoon. Bring the kids and a phone with plenty of battery. A photo next to a 1,500-pound pumpkin is a pretty good October memory.
Make a Fall Day of It
The weigh-off is a short stop, so pair it with something else seasonal. Our pumpkin patches and corn mazes near Chattanooga list has plenty of places to pick your own (much smaller) pumpkin. For the rest of the season, see the best things to do in Chattanooga this fall, our fall in Chattanooga guide, and the full rundown of Halloween events in Chattanooga. You can also browse what else is happening around town on our events calendar.
Sources
- Great Pumpkin Commonwealth: The Great Chattanooga Weigh-Off at The Barn Nursery (date, time, rules and prize schedule)
- Local 3 News: Fall 2026 events around the Tennessee Valley (free admission)
- Franklin Is: Third largest pumpkin in the country weighs in at the Nashville Fair
- The Barn Nursery (address and hours)
Details about businesses mentioned in this article (hours, offerings, atmosphere, and more) may change or may not be fully accurate. Spot something that needs a correction? Let us know and we'll fix it right away.
