by Austin Marsman

John Haluch of Watson Township raised a 918-pound bruiser of a pumpkin for his entry into the 165^th Allegan County Fair, smashing the previous fair record set in 2011 at 854 pounds.

After nearly a decade of growing pumpkins, Haluch and his many friends loaded up the pumpkin to enter in the 2017 fair.

“Seeing the look of amazement on kids’ faces was a great thing,” said Haluch.

Perched on a pallet, the pumpkin became a perfect photo opportunity. Fairgoers were encouraged to take a photo with the pumpkin and use the hashtag #GiantPumpkinACF when sharing on social media. Photos flooded the Internet of people sitting on, standing next to, examining, and even hugging the giant pumpkin.

According to Guinness World Records, the heaviest pumpkin in the world is 2,426.6 pounds and was grown in Belgium.

The great growing season and good luck can be credited for this record-breaking pumpkin. Haluch is already preparing for next year, saying “I’ve got a spot cleared and we’ll see what happens”.

PHOTOS (courtesy of Austin Marsman):

John Haluch displayed this pumpkin in the Agricultural Hall at the 2017 Allegan County Fair from Sept. 8 through 16.