The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is inviting residents to showcase their creativity this fall through the PA Preferred Pumpkin Palooza, a statewide contest celebrating locally grown pumpkins.
The competition, which runs Sept. 26 through Oct. 20, asks participants to purchase pumpkins from Pennsylvania farms and transform them into works of art through painting or carving. Winners will be announced Oct. 31, with prizes distributed through PA Preferred merchandise bags.
The contest highlights Pennsylvania’s significant role in national pumpkin production. The state ranks among the top five pumpkin producers nationwide, harvesting approximately 90 million to 109 million pounds annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.
In 2022, Pennsylvania and Michigan each produced 90 million pounds, ranking among the top pumpkin-producing states. Pennsylvania’s production increased to approximately 108.8 million pounds in 2024, placing it third nationally behind Illinois and Indiana.
The commonwealth’s pumpkin industry generated more than $13 million in farm revenue in 2017, with Pennsylvania pumpkins commanding premium prices of approximately $21 per 100 pounds, according to data cited by The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The contest holds particular relevance for Lehigh Valley residents, where agriculture remains an economic cornerstone despite increasing development pressures. The region supports numerous local farmers’ markets and family farms that have operated for generations, many offering seasonal pumpkin patches and fall activities.
Local farms such as Seiple Farms, which has operated since 1889 and cultivates more than 1,000 acres throughout the Lehigh Valley, exemplify the area’s agricultural tradition.
Other farms like Valley Fruits & Veggies in Bath, Grim’s Orchard & Family Farms in Breinigsville, and over 30 other farms across Lehigh and Northampton counties participating in county open-gate farm tours provide residents direct access to locally grown pumpkins.
The PA Preferred program, which administers the contest, serves as the state’s official agricultural branding initiative. The free program promotes Pennsylvania-grown and processed agricultural products, requiring that 75% or more of a product originate from Pennsylvania farms to bear the PA Preferred logo.
The competition features two categories: painted pumpkins and carved pumpkins, with three age divisions in each: children 11 and under, youth ages 12-17, and adults 18 and older.
To enter, Pennsylvania residents must email a photo of their decorated pumpkin to [email protected] with the subject line “PA Pumpkin Palooza Entry.”
Submissions must include the participant’s name, age, county, email address, phone number and the name of the Pennsylvania farm where the pumpkin was purchased. Entries missing farm information will be disqualified.
Participants must not be employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or their immediate family members or household residents. All contestants must grant the commonwealth permission to use names and photos of submissions.
Winners will be notified by email on Oct. 24 and publicly announced through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and PA Preferred social media channels on Oct. 31. Winners have until Nov. 5 to provide their mailing addresses for their prizes.
The contest materials note that participants can find Pennsylvania farms, markets and pumpkin patches through PA Preferred resources and the PSU Farm Market Finder at https://extension.psu.edu/farm-market-finder.
For complete contest rules and entry requirements, residents should monitor the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and PA Preferred social media pages or contact [email protected].
