Photos: Facebook @visitkasterlee
Belgian Mario Vangeel was the grand champion of the world’s largest pumpkin festival, with a giant fruit weighing over 1,000 kilograms.
Belgian Mario Vangeel took first place in the European Pumpkin Championship with a massive pumpkin. The pumpkin grown by Vangeel weighed 1,152 kg, a weight that exceeds that of some car models.
Vangeel comes from Kasterlee, known as the city of pumpkin eaters. Bieke, the farmer’s wife, explained to Euronews Green why the city has this reputation: “Documents from the 1600s indicate that since the land was poor, it was not possible to grow much food. But pumpkins thrive very well here.”
Vangeel’s pumpkin had to be transported very carefully from his hometown to Ludwigsburg, Germany, for the competition that took place on October 13. He previously won first place at the Belgian Pumpkin Championship in 2019 and second place at the European Championship in 2021, and he believed he had a chance to win this year.
“I hoped so, but I didn’t think I would win,” he said.
And for those wondering, most of the pumpkins from the competition are later transformed into boats for a canoeing event. The pumpkins are hollowed out and used as boats in the Kasterlee Pumpkin Regatta, a fun race that attracts many visitors to the city.
As for Vangeel, he hopes to participate in the championship again next year and, who knows, break the record for the heaviest pumpkin in the world, which belongs to American Travis Gienger, who last year grew a pumpkin weighing 1,296 kg.
Photos: Facebook @visitkasterlee. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
