Pumpkinfest
The Ryan Norlin GIANT Pumpkin Weigh-Off began on October 7, 1989, in a modest parking lot just east of Anamosa. The event was founded by Tom Norlin in loving memory of his nephew, Ryan, who tragically lost his life in a boating accident earlier that June. A longtime pumpkin grower with three decades of experience, Tom often welcomed Ryan into the pumpkin patch, where the two shared many memorable hours together.
That first year set the bar at 252.8 pounds, with the winning pumpkin grown by Bob Ruff of Garnavillo, Iowa. Over the decades, the competition has grown dramatically. The largest pumpkin ever weighed in Anamosa tipped the scales at an astonishing 2,034 pounds, grown in 2015 by John Barlow of Gays Mills, Wisconsin.
In 1990, the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce organized Anamosa Pumpkinfest to coincide with the weigh-off. What began as a companion event has since blossomed into Anamosa’s largest and most beloved community celebration.
The tradition gained statewide recognition in 1993, when the Iowa Legislature officially named Anamosa the Pumpkin Capital of Iowa. That same year, Tom Norlin and fellow growers formed the Midwest Pumpkin Growers Association, an organization affiliated with the international Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.
