Giant Pumpkins 2011

I was in the Green Room of ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly Friday morning. The true star of the show wasn't hosts Kelly Ripa or Josh Groban (substituting for a vacationing Regis Philbin), or the guests Orlando Bloom and Ginnifer Goodwin (although they were definitely cool too).  The spotlight was on the world's largest pumpkin, grown by Jim Bryson and his 12-year-old daughter Kelsey from Ormstown, Quebec, Canada -- the giant gourd weighs a record-breaking 1,818 pounds!

It will be on view, along with three other Giant Pumpkins, at The New York Botanical Garden through October 30.  Read all about them here.

Master Carver Ray Villafane, winner of The Food Network Challenge, will carve the record pumpkin (nicknamed "Chairy" by Kelsey because of its shape) this weekend, October 22 and 23, 2011.  Michael Anthony Natiello, creator of The Haunted Pumpkin Garden and The Great Jack-o-Lantern Blaze, will carve the other pumpkins on Halloween weekend, October 29 and 30.