Weird NewsWEIRD NEWS
Rhode Island farmer grows record 3,156-pound pumpkin
The Rhode Island pumpkin beat a record set only a week earlier and is said to be the first to clear three thousand pounds; there is no word on pie.
Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger on this story, from The Five O'Clock at 4:08 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are ABC News's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance
- First reported by ABC News: “WATCH: Rhode Island farmer sets new record for world's biggest pumpkin”.
- Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 4:08 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger.
- Topics: Rhode Island.
- BBN covered this story before: Record pumpkin, Orange County wildfires, and weekend sports (October 17).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA farmer in Rhode Island has grown a pumpkin weighing three thousand one hundred fifty-six pounds, a new world record, ABC News reports.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe old record was two thousand eight hundred fifty-six pounds, and that one was set only a week earlier.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorHank, I've looked at the photo twice and I'm calling it. That pumpkin has a lanai. Spiritually Florida.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIt grew in Rhode Island. The farmer says the greenhouse made all the difference.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorA greenhouse! Warm, humid, a little bit of glass. That's basically Orlando in October.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe previous record came from Berkshire, England. Are you saying England is Florida too?

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorI'm saying the pumpkin gains fifty pounds a day and drinks a hundred gallons of water, which is a Tuesday in Tampa.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorFlorida Man Rating, one alligator, and only because of the greenhouse.
More Shorts
All videos →The story so far
- Giant pumpkin record claim sits on a record under a month old · UPI
- Rhode Island farmer grows 3,156-pound pumpkin, a new record · The New York Times
- Rhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin · The New York Times
- World's heaviest pumpkin tops 3,000 pounds, Rhode Island man sets… · USA Today
- 3,156-pound pumpkin grown in Rhode Island is inspected for possible… · Griffin Daily News
- Record pumpkin, Orange County wildfires, and weekend sports · Al Jazeera
- Rhode Island farmer grows record 3,156-pound pumpkin (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · the Weird News archive · all months


Photo: P J Hansen · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: This photography was created by Mariluna . Other photos… · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: BWCSEB1989 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dmitry Bogdanov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN