204th Topsfield Fair Opens With Giant Pumpkin Contest Friday Night

TOPSFIELD, MA — The 204th Topsfield Fair is kicking off in a big way Friday night with the annual giant pumpkin weigh-in and winner announcement.

This year's giant gourd will have some big shoes to fill after Alex Noel of Abington, Connecticut won last year's contest with a pumpkin checking in at 2,092 pounds. The all-time record stands from 2019 when Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island set the current standard at 2,114 pounds.

The weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. on Friday with the winner announced about 8 p.m.

(Also on Patch: North Shore Tradition Returns With Topsfield Fair's 204th Edition)

The 204th Topsfield Fair opens Friday night and runs daily through Oct. 10 with a mix of traditional and new events, attractions and entertainment.

The poulty barn will be shuttered this year out of concern for the spread of the avian flu.

A full preview of this year's Topsfield Fair, including ticket information and entertainment headliners, can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)