Earlier this month, I asked the bitchy community a very weighty question: what happens to giant pumpkins after they’ve been proclaimed the largest/heaviest specimen in the field? The answer emerged this week, and turned out to be quite obvious. They become the world’s largest/heaviest jack-o’-lantern, of course! As you’ll recall, two weeks ago Guinness World Records officiated the declaration of a 3,156-pound behemoth in Rhode Island as the world’s heaviest pumpkin. (The reclaiming of the crown but one week after a British pumpkin had taken it may have reignited ancient Anglo-American tensions in the greater squash community, but I digress…)
Since that fateful ascension, the big pumpkin has had a little makeover. Take a deep breath and try to keep track of this yarn: Todd Graves, the founder of chicken finger restaurant chain Raising Cane’s, has an annual tradition of carving ginormous pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns and displaying them across the country, and this year he did the honors on the Rhode Island corker that he also transported to Salem, Massachusetts as part of the witchy city’s 400th anniversary. Did you get all that??
Graves unveiled the intricately carved jack-o’-lantern at Salem Common Monday, part of his annual tradition of bringing giant pumpkins and Halloween experiences to popular destinations across the country.
The elaborate carved designs feature skeletons, Salem-inspired witches, and the Raising Cane’s logo.
The pumpkin, grown in Green, Rhode Island, was unveiled by Graves and his daughter, alongside the grower Ron Wallace and pumpkin carvers Eric Jones, Monique Hawk, and William Wilson.
“Each year, I put these giant pumpkins in places where many people will visit because I want kids to be inspired and experience the magic,” Graves said in a statement. “I want kids to see that they can do anything they set their mind to and could one day cook Chicken Fingers like me, or grow giant pumpkins like Ron, or create incredible designs like Eric, Monique and William.”
The pumpkin is no stranger to breaking records, already having earned the Guinness World Records title for heaviest pumpkin earlier in the month. The pumpkin was grown over 123 days and is the first fruit to surpass 3,000 pound, according to Guinness World Records.
Mayor Dominick Pangallo of Salem proclaimed Oct. 27 as Great Pumpkin Day in Salem, recognizing the record-breaking achievement during Salem’s 400th-anniversary celebrations.
“It’s our 400th birthday and we’re still out here making history!” Pangallo said. “It’s an honor to be here and such a thrill as I’m issuing a proclamation today as Great Pumpkin Day in Salem. I’m so thankful to Todd and Cane’s for sharing this pumpkin with us.”
Kimberly Brown, who played Marnie Piper in Disney Channel’s “Halloweentown” franchise, attended the celebration with her husband, who played Kal in the “Halloweentown” sequel.
“This pumpkin is the most astounding pumpkin I’ve ever seen, and I’m so honored to be part of this occasion,” Brown said.
Graves also included a 2,613-pound carved pumpkin at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles and displays at Raising Cane’s offices in Texas and Louisiana as part of this year’s Halloween celebrations.
To whoever had fast food franchise + frightfully large pumpkin + monumental anniversary of a historic city: congratulations, you won Halloween Bingo 2026! What a wild hayride! I mean, as I said of master pumpkin grower Ron Wallace himself, everyone needs a hobby. Todd Graves deploying his chicken-finger-built wealth to carve himself source artists to carve humongous jack-o’-lanterns for towns to enjoy is a pretty sweet hobby for him to indulge in. Could the carving designs look a little lot less like a branding exercise for Raising Cane’s and be more about honoring Salem’s 400th? Yeah, they really could have. It’s not like there wasn’t enough space!! But regourdless, it’s still a fun way to cap off spooky szn. And speaking of, everyone have buckets of fun (while staying safe!) out there this Halloween Saturday, the last one we’re getting for 11 years.
ah to be a kid on a Saturday night trick or treating the spookiest night of the year! I can’t even imagine how mobbed Sleepy Hollow, NY and Salem, MA will be. Have fun and be safe.
I’m a hermit and never get any kids so I will just pretend not to be home and watch some horror movies.
For the giant pumpkins, as I have read they take the seeds and replant them to continue the tradition.
Yeah, the seeds go for a ton of money and there are lists of growers waiting to buy them.
Please don’t let pumpkins go to waste. Donate them to area farmers for livestock feed. Contact the local zoo to see what they could use. Finally, compost.