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    Pumpkin contest

    PA Preferred® Pumpkin Palooza: Where Gourds Go Glam!

    Pennsylvania pumpkins are the best for eating or expressing your creativity! Paint or carve your Pennsylvania pumpkin and enter this year’s PA Preferred® pumpkin contest.

    This fall, PA pumpkins take center stage! Whether your skills are the pinnacle of perfection, or purely potential, the PA Preferred® Pumpkin Palooza contest invites Pennsylvanians of all ages and abilities to show off your PA pumpkin pride painting or carving locally grown pumpkins.
     

    Contest Dates

    October 1-26, 2026
     

    Details

    Categories: Painted Pumpkins & Carved Pumpkin

    Age Groups:

    • Child (11 & under)
    • Youth (12 – 17)
    • Adult (18+)
       

    Eligibility

    • Pumpkins must be purchased from a Pennsylvania farm, market, or pumpkin patch;

    • Participants must be a Pennsylvania resident;

    • Participants must be someone other than an employee, immediate family member or person living in the same household as an employee of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; and

    • Participants must give the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania permission to use names and photos of your pumpkin submission; and

    • Participants under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent/guardian to enter.
       

    How to enter

    Entrants should email their pumpkin photo to agcontests@pa.gov with subject line: "PA Preferred Pumpkin Palooza Entry.” Entries must include:

    • Name, age, PA county of residence, email & phone

    • A photo of the decorated pumpkin

    • Name of the PA farm, market, or pumpkin patch where pumpkin was purchased (required for eligibility)
       

    PA Pumpkin Locator

    Not sure where to get your pumpkin from this fall? Check out these resources:

    Winners Announced

    October 31, 2026
     

    Prizes

    Winners receive a PA Preferred® swag bag and recognition on PA Department of Agriculture and PA Preferred social media! 
     

    Anything else to know?

    Yes!  PDA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, modify, or suspend this contest.

    Your entry is considered written consent to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 2301 N. Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110, its successors, assigns, and licensees, and any agencies designated by the Department of Agriculture, to use the submitter’s picture(s) and name for web site or promotional purposes, consistent with good taste which will not be derogatory, degrading or detrimental to the submitter in any way.  The submitter understands that they will not receive any monetary compensation as a result of participating or winning this contest.
     

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