LOGAN, Utah — Pumpkin growers and fall lovers once again gathered in Logan Saturday for the third-annual Center Street Giant Pumpkin Festival. This year’s giant pumpkin weigh-off saw another state record broken.

A ghostly 1,917-pound white pumpkin nicknamed “Dough Boy” grown by Alan Gebert of Millville took first place, followed by a 1,761-pounder grown by Ralph and Juana Laub, which also won the crowd-voted award for prettiest pumpkin.

Brian Christensen of Rexburg took third, breaking the Idaho state record for the second year in a row with his 1,708-pound pumpkin.

The Utah state record is 2,289, set during last year’s weigh-off by the Laubs.

Growing a giant pumpkin isn’t as simple as planting seeds, watering and weeding. Cache Valley Giant Pumpkins owner Jim Seamons said growers have to start early in the spring, usually in a greenhouse. Throughout the year they trim offshoots, keep their pumpkins clean and bug free and “feed them” almost every day with fertilizer.

“It’s a very labor-intensive crop,” Seamons said.

Most of Seamons’ giant pumpkins go to commercial events and uses, but he said he makes sure to bring one each year to support the weigh-off.

He said he expects the festival to keep growing in the future.

“I mean, look at how many pumpkins are here,” Seamons said. “We keep getting more and more growers excited and coming.”

This year’s festival included pumpkins from more than 20 growers, according to a press release.

While the gallery of giant pumpkins is the star of the festival, Saturday was filled with a variety of activities to get people into the fall spirit — a pumpkin pie eating competition for all ages, professional pumpkin carving, fall crafts and over 100 vendors.

Artist Dallon Robbins traded his usual mediums for a large, though not quite giant, pumpkin Saturday, spending hours etching his design into the pumpkin's surface.

Robbins said he started his carving around 10 a.m. and expected to continue working until around 5 p.m.

Logan resident Meg Singletary said she loves fall, and events like the pumpkin festival help her enjoy the season she said goes by too fast.

“Especially this year with how quickly the leaves have changed, and I’m just so busy I feel like I don’t have time to enjoy it,” Singletary said. “Things like this make it fun though, so it feels like fall.”

Anderson’s Seed and Garden and Cache Valley Bank are title sponsors of the pumpkin festival. It is also supported by the Utah Giant Pumpkin Growers.