AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) – Hundreds of painted pumpkins and award-winning large pumpkins were on display at McCowin Park for the 15th annual Ammon Pumpkin Walk. For the first time this year, the City of Ammon partnered with Kneaders to host pie-eating competitions.
Local businesses and families decorated groups of pumpkins, painting them and setting them up with other Halloween decor. There were also several entries for the largest pumpkin award. The 2026 winner is Brandon Crain from Shelley. His pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 1,281 pounds.
Not only is Crain’s pumpkin the 2026 largest pumpkin walk winner, it’s a record-breaking pumpkin for all the years. It is now the pumpkin to beat.
Organizers chose to partner with Kneaders to try hosting a pumpkin pie eating contest at the event, which Recreation Director Randal Miller said was a huge success.
“This is the new thing we’re trying this year, it seems to be going very well,” Miller said. “We’re happy to partner with Kneaders to make it happen.”
Every half-hour, six brave volunteers competed to eat the most pumpkin pie filling out of a pie crust within three minutes. They also had to do it with no hands!
Thirteen-year-old Darnell won two of the rounds of pie-eating. He said at first he was trying to eat the whole pie, then the judges said it was only the filling, and Darnell was off to the races.
“I just ate the filling and drank the water, just kept going, kept being determined,” Darnell said. “I felt way more full [in this round] I felt like I was about to drop out.”
Darnell said he doesn’t even like pumpkin pie. He much prefers apple or blueberry pies. He said he joined the competition because he was hungry and it was “free pie.”
All the pumpkin displays will stay up through Halloween. Miller said to come enjoy all the decorations while the weather is nice.
“It’s free to come, these are all from local organizations, some are from schools and non-profits. They come and make this place what it becomes, it’s just a fun thing to do in the Halloween season,” Miller said.
