Illinois has a new record for the largest pumpkin. And it was set by a grower from Plainfield.
The pumpkin grown by Phil Groenewold weighed in at 2,492.5 pounds.
It beat the previous record set eleven years ago by 347 pounds.
“That is larger than I thought it was gonna be,” he told us. “In that moment I was in complete shock.”
He said he just hoped to beat his personal best, in the 1,600s.
He’s been doing this for years. Where he lives in Plainfield, he said, he only has room for one plant.
He admitted it is an obsession.
“It’s really a difficult, stressful hobby,” he said. “You’ve got everything trying to take you out, all the storms that we’ve had, lots of wind damage, you’ve got different diseases and you’ve got bugs and you’re just kind of fighting all these elements throughout the season, trying to baby this thing to the end.”
He said it’s fairly complicated growing a monster pumpkin.
Genetics, soil, fertilizers, a lot of water.
A lot of time.
“What does your wife think of your hobby?” we asked.
“I think it might stress her out a little bit more than me,” he said, “She’s gotten into it a little bit more now.”
The pumpkin is the heaviest of the season in the country, so far.
Although, there are more weigh-offs to come.
The world record pumpkin weighed 2,819 pounds.
Press release:
PLAINFIELD, Ill. - Illinois has a new giant pumpkin record - and it was not close. Plainfield grower Phil Groenewold grew a massive 2,492.5-pound giant pumpkin, breaking the previous Illinois record by 347 pounds.
The previous record, 2,145.5 pounds, was set in 2015 by Gene McMullen of Streator and had stood for 11 years.
Groenewold's pumpkin was officially weighed Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Bluegrass Championship Weigh-Off in Hawesville, Kentucky.
The pumpkin weighed 17% heavier than its chart estimate, an unusually large gain over its measured estimate.
As of Sept. 17, 2026, the 2,492.5-pound pumpkin is the heaviest pumpkin weighed in the United States during the 2026 GPC season so far.
GPC standings can change as additional sanctioned weigh-offs are held throughout the fall, and results are subject to final verification.
Competitive giant pumpkin growing combines specialized genetics, soil management, plant nutrition and months of intensive care.
