New state record made at Great Pumpkin Commonwealth

MELON WEIGH OFF 025

WASHINGTON – While there weren’t a lot of watermelons entered in the weigh off at the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) Saturday, a new state record was established.

The previous state record was 268.8 pounds. The new record is 291.4 pounds, by a melon grown by Jeremy Lindley of Wynn. Previously, the largest melon shown at the GPC was 233.5 pounds by Lloyd Bright, but this record fell three times during the event. Bright got things started by breaking his record with an entry of 237.7. This record only lasted until Becky Lindley’s melon was placed on the scales and weighed 253.4 pounds. Her record, as well as the state record, fell with Jeremy Lindley’s entry, which tipped the scales at 291.4.

There was a good crowd on hand for the weigh-off, with people crowding around the judges as they measured the melons before they were weighed. Entries came from Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.

The world record for a watermelon is 350 pounds, grown in Sevierville, TN.

While waiting for the entries and the weighing, visitors visited the different booths at the Washington Farmer’s Market, with many taking advantage of the booth selling cold drinks as the temperature and humidity was climbing by the time the weigh-off started.

Everything wasn’t about the melons, either, as youngsters took advantage of a tree by the judge’s tent and spent the morning climbing around.

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