Whidbey Island shows off its greatest gourds at Harvest Fest

Published 3:57 pm Friday, October 17, 2014

Whidbey residents presented their most rotund, most beautiful and most gnarly gourds at the 19th annual Whidbey Island Giant Pumpkin Contest.

The contest took place Oct. 11 at Coupeville’s Harvest Fest.

Randy Thiesfeld of Coupeville was crowned the winner of the largest zucchini, bringing in two zucchinis with the same prize-winning weight of 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

Freeland resident Kohl Baker of Freeland won the junior pumpkin division with a 244-pound pumpkin, claiming it was not even the largest in his patch.

John Boling of Coupeville brought in the ugliest pumpkin.

The top three pumpkins were presented by Neal Amtmann of Coupeville with a 391-pounder, Mike Radach of Oak Harbor with a pumpkin weighing 452-pounds and Lee Roof of Coupeville with a 1005-pound pumpkin. The latter, which also won the award for prettiest pumpkin, will be on display for the month of October at Three Sisters Grocery in San de Fuca.

Anyone wishing to receive free seeds may email whidbeypumpkins@gmail.com. Seeds will be sent out early in spring, 2015.