Clarence Schools Transportation Pair’s Pumpkin Sets New York Record

A 2,741.5-pound pumpkin grown by Clarence Central School District bus mechanic Karl Haist and his wife Beverly, a retired bus driver, rewrote the state record books and stole the show during a Halloween event in New York City’s Times Square. 

Even for a duo that has set state records in the past, this pumpkin was special.

“You knew it was a good one, but that was unbelievable,” Haist said.

The Haists have grown competition pumpkins for more than two decades, with their love and dedication helping them take their pumpkins from seedlings into giants that can require a trailer to move. That means planting in April, a vigilant watering schedule of up to 150 gallons of water a day per competition pumpkin and stops at home for Haist during his lunch break to check on his pumpkins’ growth.

“It’s fun,” Haist said. “It keeps you outside.”

The pumpkin’s state record-setting weight was confirmed in October as the Haists won the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers (OVGPG) Weigh-Off in Canfield, Ohio, which Karl described as the Super Bowl of pumpkin growing. Haist said the final weight total surprised him, as his initial estimates had him thinking it would be a few hundred pounds lighter. The record-setting pumpkin was one of three massive pumpkins the pair grew this year, with their lighter pumpkins weighing in at a gargantuan 2,029 pounds and 2,025 pounds. 

Following the win, the pumpkin was prominently displayed at the Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Special. The chicken finger chain restaurant Raising Cane’s then brought the pumpkin to New York City’s Times Square, where it was carved with intricate designs for more than 30 hours by Food Network stars Eric Jones, Monique Hawk and William Wilson. The finished pumpkin was prominently displayed during an event that included television, sports and social media luminaries including Gia Giudice, Jordyn Woods, Food God, Luann de Lesseps, Dolores Catania, Terance Mann and Ziaire William.

With Halloween coming to a close, the pumpkin made its return to Clarence, with the Haists bringing the pumpkin to the District’s Transportation Department to show his colleagues and friends. 

“Everybody was just excited for him,” said Linda Forster, the District’s transportation supervisor. “We know how much work it was to make it happen.”

Forster described Karl as “a go-to guy for us” in his work maintaining the District’s transportation fleet. 

Despite his success, Haist said he and his wife were already looking forward to growing more pumpkins into the future, as he will be retiring from his position in December. The record-breaking pumpkin will soon be composted, potentially setting the stage for future success. The current world record pumpkin, grown this year by British twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton, weighs 2819.3 pounds. The second largest pumpkin is a 2,749-pound gourd grown by Travis Gienger of Minnesota in 2023.

“We’ll take a shot at it next year,” Haist said. “We’ll see what we get.”

To learn more about the Transportation Department at the Clarence Central School District, visit https://www.clarenceschools.org/departments/transportation.