It’s finally that time of year! Locals of all ages came together on Sept. 26 in Altoona’s River Prairie for the return of its Ginormous Pumpkin Festival. This free annual bash brings the whole community together to enjoy an artist market, dive into fun games and – of course – marvel at some truly massive pumpkins.

This year, we tip our hats to regional grower Jacob Marintzer for taking first place at this year’s pumpkin weigh-off. His Atlantic Giant variety tipped the scales at 2,212 pounds.

Fear not, local growers – there were plenty of rewards to go around. Festival competitions spanned a variety of giant produce, such as watermelons, long gourds, bushel gourds and squash – with a total $27,000 in prize money up for grabs.

Perhaps a hidden gem from the Ginormous Pumpkin Festival is its “Apple Slingshot” contest. This family-friendly activity let participants put their aim to the test right from the River Prairie Pond overlook.

Apples were launched with an oversized catapult to aim for a target floating in the pond for a shot at winning prizes. Don’t believe us? Well, just take a look at this year’s photos!

Visit the Ginormous Pumpkin Festival webpage online or via social media (@CVGPG) for more contest winners and other event updates.