10/06/2026
Another successful 4-H Giant Pumpkin Celebration is in the books! 🎃
Our 4-H youth spent the summer growing and caring for their giant pumpkin plants—scouting for pests and diseases, keeping an eye on plant health, and even trying to keep hungry deer away.
This year’s first-place winners were Bailey, Brooke, and Blair Fairchild, who grew an impressive 214-pound pumpkin despite the drought conditions we experienced this summer. Josie Bare took second place with her 55-pound pumpkin, “Peanut,” which was also voted this year’s Crowd Favorite!
More than 100 people stopped by the Extension and 4-H activity booth throughout the morning to learn about giant pumpkins, guess the weight of the largest pumpkin, and participate in hands-on 4-H activities. We even managed to hold off the rain until after the winners were announced!
Events like this would not be possible without some tremendous community partners. A special thank-you goes to the Ashe County Farmers Market for continuing to provide a welcoming home for Extension programs, Joey Parsons and Parsons Farm Supply for their continued support of agriculture and youth agricultural education in Ashe County, and John Council and the staff of the Upper Mountain Research Station for always helping Extension bring agriculture, research, and education into the community.
Interested in getting involved with Ashe County 4-H? Contact our 4-H Agent and County Extension Director, Brian MacHarg, at (336) 846-5850 or [email protected]
