BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The great pumpkin Goat took first place at a contest at the Kern County Fair and is now heading to the California Living Museum for the Boo at the Zoo event.
Goat won the contest for largest pumpkin at the 2023 Kern County Fair. Robin Evans, Goat’s grower, told 17 News, Goat is an Atlantic giant pumpkin weighing in at 370 pounds.
Evans says she started growing Goat in her garden in April and it was “quite shocking” how quickly Goat grew.
Goat was growing on the vine for 126 days, Evans said. The standard time for grow is 120 to 180 days.
“So it kept spreading and getting bigger and getting bigger and I was just floored. I’d walk outside and it’s just like – and they can grow up to 23 to 33 pounds a day … during their growth spurt. So it was like walking out and seeing a small child added to that pumpkin, so it was huge,” Evans said.
As Goat grew, Evans would protect him from extreme heat and give him positive affirmations.
You may wonder to yourself, why did she choose the name Goat for her pumpkin?
Evans says she was texting her cousin about how she purchased “giant” pumpkin seeds but with autocorrect, “giant” was corrected to “goat.” The two of them got a good laugh out of it and the name stuck.
Now, Goat will be served up to bears Cinnamon and Louie to be carved and snacked on at the Boo at the Zoo event at CALM Zoo on Oct. 18 at 9 a.m.
And for Evans, she has a new goal of growing a 1,000-pound pumpkin next year.
