The Great Pumpkin Rises: Santa Rosa Grower Wins Big in Half Moon Bay
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown—but this time, it’s real, and it’s from Santa Rosa! A hometown engineer and gardening enthusiast, Brandon Dawson, recently took home the top prize at the 52nd Annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay with a record-breaking 2,346-pound pumpkin. That’s about the weight of a small car—and a huge win for Santa Rosa’s local agriculture scene.
Just like Linus waiting in the most sincere pumpkin patch, Dawson spent the season tending to his massive gourd with precision and care, even involving his young children in the growing process. His attention to detail, and perhaps a little Sonoma County sunshine, paid off with a $20,000 prize and a new chapter in local lore.
This fall, you don’t need to travel far to find your own Great Pumpkin moment. Santa Rosa is brimming with harvest-season charm—from family-friendly pumpkin patches to farmstands overflowing with autumn bounty. Frolic among the fields at local favorites like Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch, Muelrath Ranches Pumpkin Patch, and Punky's Pumpkin Patch, where you can soak in the vibrant colors of Wine Country and maybe even spot a future champion pumpkin in the making.
Of course, no visit to Santa Rosa in the fall would be complete without a nod to our most famous resident dreamer—Charles M. Schulz. Adventure through town to see Peanuts statues scattered around, visit the Charles M. Schulz Museum, and relive the timeless magic of "It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." After all, in Santa Rosa, imagination, agriculture, and community spirit all grow side by side.
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