Interior pumpkin steals the show

PALMER — The 12th Annual Alaska’s Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off at the Alaska State Fair drew a sizable audience Tuesday, as dozens gathered to watch giant pumpkins tip the scales. There were five total entries this year, including a 32-pound pumpkin from child competitor Thomas Whitmore.

This year’s winner was North Pole’s Dave Iles, whose pumpkin, named ‘Jeepers Keeper,’ weighed 1,231.5 pounds. Although it didn’t set a new record, it did beat record-holder Dale Marshall’s 2017 entries.

Iles said that hopefully he would be able to compete next year. He said it’s always a gamble. Only one of his pumpkins and one squash made it this year. Everyone competing said that the whole process of getting the pumpkin from a seed to the scale was a fickle journey with peril around every corner. Iles drove his pumpkin down from North Pole to Palmer, looking over his shoulder the whole time.

“If something goes wrong, it goes tremendously wrong,” Iles said.

Iles said his goal for the competition was to show everyone that hydroponics are the “way to go.” He said that hydroponics is the best way for pumpkins to get all the nutrients and hydration it needs. Most growers use soil but Isles is trying to set a new trend.

He used an analogy: “A pumpkin always has to eat. With hydroponics it’s like a restaurant that’s open 24/7,” he said. “It’s an ideal environment.”

There were three judges for the competition, as required by the event’s “Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.” As in years past, the 2017 competition pitted growers against each other for cash prizes. First place received $1,000, second place $500, while the third-place pumpkin received $250.

Iles said he was pleasantly surprised to win.

The event emcee told the audience that most people don’t understand the genetics of pumpkins and how much work goes into growing the monstrously-sized crops.

The Pumpkin Fairies (also known as the Cabbage Fairies) blessed all of the pumpkins, forming “fairy rings” and dancing around the pumpkins. They would also line up and do their “fairy shuffle” after each weighing. The fairies frequently interacted with the audience, taking pictures and mingling with the crowd.

Pat Gakin said engaging the audience was her biggest motivation. She said that the fairies have their own following of sorts.

“One part is making people smile, another part is to show little girls that older girls can still dress up and have fun,” Gakin said.

Jenny Lawton was referred to as the “queen” of the fairies. Lawton started the fairy group about 13 years ago with the Cabbage Fairies. The Pumpkin Fairies are a more recent addition, starting three or four years ago. She said that they all get to meet a lot of people from around the world with pleasant interactions.

“You just feel like you’re doing a great job representing Alaska and its friendliness,” Lawton said.