The city of Anoka is saying go big or gourd home. A champion pumpkin grown in Anoka is expected to break two Guinness World Records this week.
Massive Anoka pumpkin to be carved into world’s largest jack-o-lantern
Anoka, affectionately known as the Halloween Capital of the World, prides itself on its Halloween celebrations and now has yet another Halloween accolade to celebrate. North America's largest pumpkin is on display at Anoka City Hall, where it will be carved into the world's largest jack-o-lantern by weight and by size on Friday.
The pumpkin, known as Maverick, is 2,560 pounds. It was grown by Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher with a background in agriculture education. "The reason why we named it Maverick -- on Day Five, I dropped that five-gallon bucket on it, and that's where all the scars came from. And it just came back better than ever," Gienger explained.