The final pumpkin, grown by Bill Bobier from Windsor, N.Y., was a whopping 1,376 pounds, only 31 pounds short of the state recordłenough to win Bobier first place.

"It’s just a lot of hard work," he said. "Right seed, right soil, right climate, right luck." All his pumpkins, he said, are grown organically.

President of the New York State Giant Pumpkin Growers Association, Randy Sundstrom of Walton, N.Y., came a close second with a 1,367.5 pound pumpkin. Third place went to a 1,354.5 pound beast raised by Rich Vogler of North Branch, N.Y.

"I’ve been here every year," he said, "but this is the best I’ve ever done." Last year he placed ninth in the weigh-off, which shows that hard work and good luck can help every competitor.

Thirty-nine pumpkins total competed for 10 prizes ranging between $50 and $2,000. Some were grown by hobbyists, like Bob Morgan from Mohawk, N.Y., who wished only to beat his last record of 327 pounds.

"I’m just trying to learn a few things along the way every year," he said, "and trying to get better at it." He said that competitors often share secrets with one another and that it’s a friendly competition.

Many participants, though, are big pumpkin enthusiasts. Some were featured in a PBS documentary last year called Lords of the Gourd, which followed growers from the field to the 2006 PumpkinFest.

"Last year there were a lot of pumpkins," Morgan said, "but none the size of some of these. These are mammoths."

The pumpkins get bigger every year, he said, and he doesn’t doubt that next year’s will be even bigger.

All top three pumpkins outweighed last year’s winning pumpkin by over a hundred pounds. Joe Pukos of Leicester, N.Y. was the grand prize winner after a huge disappointing disqualification of a pumpkin that was anticipated to break a world record of 1,469 pounds last year. Pukos pumpkin weighed 1,225.3 pounds.

The festivities, sponsored by the NYSGPGA and the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, drew over a thousand spectators, according to officials. Among Saturday’s events were a magic show, a craft fair, a scavenger hunt, and pumpkin painting.

On Sunday, large pumpkins were carved into boats for the Pumpkin Regatta at Lakefront Park. Though loading the pumpkin-boats into the water took longer than expected, the crowds were still energetic and cheering when races began. Bobier made another appearance as the infamous "Pirate Bill."

John Bullis, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, said over 36 paddlers participated in the regatta. First prize went to sponsor Cooley’s Stone House Tavern. The prize was a plaque and dinner for two at Otesaga Resort Hotel.

Many spectators traveled far to witness the competitions. Charlie Pryor from South River, N.J., drove five hours to learn more about the gourds.

He doesn’t grow pumpkins, he said, but added, "I’m going to start."

Bullis said the festival went spectacularly. He said he believes this year’s event drew the largest crowd in four years.

"It was a wonderful day, a great crowd," he said. "We had some great pumpkins. We didn’t break the state record, but we came close."

Bullis said he has received nothing but good reports since the event ended.

``Everyone said they had a good time,’’ he said.

Bullis said the growers were happy and merchants reported having good sales.

``When you have good weather like we got, it is hard not to have a good time,’’ said Bullis.

During the last moments of weighing, officials announced that the world record had just been beaten at the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, Mass., by a 1,689 pound giant.

Bullis said this was the only dissatisfaction of the day. He said it was disappointing to have the record broken at a different location on the same day Cooperstown was hosting the same event.

Bullis said growers will be working hard to come close to the 1,689 pound record for next year’s PumpkinFest.