Move over Charlie Brown, there’s a new great pumpkin in town and this one is making Halloween history! Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves brought a massive 3,156 pound pumpkin to Salem Common, had it carved by a talented team and now holds a Guinness World Record for the world’s heaviest jack-o’-lantern!
Celebrating Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts is pretty special in its own right. Add in Raising Cane’s, a record-breaking pumpkin, and a city celebrating its 400th anniversary and you’ve got one unforgettable experience!
“This Guinness World Record Heaviest Jack-o’-Lantern is seven years in the making! It’s incredible to be in Salem for the 400th anniversary and experience all the history in the town,” Todd Graves shared on site in Salem Common. “More than 1,000,000 come through Salem during the Halloween season and I couldn’t think of a better place to share something this incredible. Each year, I put these giant pumpkins in places where many people will visit because I want kids to be inspired and experience the magic. I want kids to see that they can do anything they set their mind to and could one day cook Chicken Fingers like me, or grow giant pumpkins like Ron, or create incredible designs like Eric, Monique and William.”
The massive pumpkin was grown by champion pumpkin grower Ron Wallace of Green, Rhode Island, who spent 123 days growing the giant gourd before it weighed in at an incredible 3,156 pounds earlier this month.
Taking it a step further, Graves teamed up with world renowned carvers Eric Jones, Monique Hawk and William Wilson to turn the record-breaking pumpkin into an epic Halloween creation showcasing intricate details such as skeletons, witches, and plenty of Raising Cane’s touches. The design also included more than a dozen fruits and vegetables, including carrots, radishes, beets, apples, eggplants, parsnips and turnips. If one thought the turnips were a random addition, just know they were not! Fun fact, the turnips paid tribute to an old Halloween tradition, when people carved lanterns out of vegetables like turnips long before pumpkins became the go-to choice.
To make things official, Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric was on hand to confirm all the necessary details were fulfilled and shared the incredible news that the jack-o-lantern displayed in Salem Common was officially the world’s heaviest jack-o’-lantern.
“This is an incredible pumpkin and work of art. I saw the renderings of what it might look like, but to see it in person is incredible,” said Empric. “The previous world record for heaviest jack-o’-lantern was 2,749 pounds. Today, I’m proud to say Todd’s 3,156-pound jack-o’-lantern is the new Guinness World Record!”
Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo was also on hand for this celebration, and even marked October 27th as “Great Pumpkin Day” in Salem. “It’s our 400th birthday and we’re still out here making history! It’s an honor to be here and such a thrill as I’m issuing a proclamation today as Great Pumpkin Day in Salem,” said Pangallo. “I’m so thankful to Todd and Cane’s for sharing this pumpkin with us.”
The Raising Cane’s founder shared that the journey behind this pumpkin has been seven years in the making, and bringing it to Salem during the city’s 400th anniversary made the moment even more special. With more than a million people visiting Salem during Halloween season, he wanted to bring something truly unforgettable to a place where so many people could experience it.
And in true Todd Graves / Raising Cane’s fashion, there’s even a bigger reason behind it all. Inspiring kids to dream BIG. Graves hopes seeing something this extraordinary encourages kids to believe they can do anything they set their minds to, whether that’s growing giant pumpkins like Wallace, creating incredible designs like the carving team, or even building a business of their own. It’s a pretty great reminder that big things can start with a single seed, a little patience, and a whole lot of dedication. Just look at how Raising Cane’s has grown and what it is today.
Raising Cane’s is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and recently opened its 1,000th restaurant. From the first restaurant to now a nationwide presence, Cane’s has grown into much more than a place to grab its signature Chicken Fingers. Through community partnerships, charitable efforts, and creative experiences, just like this one, Graves continues to find ways to bring people together and is consistently making an impact nationwide.