# Halloween 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2026, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804 "2026-10-13T11:16:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/21 "2026-10-14T14:35:47Z")
The Pumpkin at this year’s Topsfield Fair (which wrapped up on Oct 12) was a record-setting 2,598 pounds. > **[Pumpkin Weigh-In - Topsfield Fair - 2027](https://www.topsfieldfair.org/explore/pumpkin-weigh-in/)** > > Est. reading time: 1 minute The pumpkins at the Topsfield Fair have been national record-setters, and Disney has bought them for their theme parks. This year, though, we got beaten by a Rhode Island pumpkin that weighed i at 3,156 pounds [https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-contest-winner-41ad77ff3259cf780fbf4bca19c35143](https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-contest-winner-41ad77ff3259cf780fbf4bca19c35143) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/22 "2026-10-14T15:59:14Z")
Damn, didn’t know that they can get heavier than some cars. What are pumpkins, fruits? Are these the biggest fruits in the world? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/23 "2026-10-14T16:08:22Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > What are pumpkins, fruits? Are these the biggest fruits in the world? Yes. Also, yes. > **[What is the Largest and Heaviest Fruit in the World?](https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-is-the-largest-and-heaviest-fruit-in-the-world.html)** > > The Atlantic giant pumpkin is the world's heaviest fruit. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/24 "2026-10-14T16:29:43Z")
Thanks! Impressive! Unfortunately, I hate pumpkins and can only tolerate it pureed in a soup. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/25 "2026-10-14T17:03:47Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Thanks! Impressive! Unfortunately, I hate pumpkins and can only tolerate it pureed in a soup You might not like these giant pumpkins – they’re bred for attaining great size rapidly, not for taste. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/26 "2026-10-14T17:22:15Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Unfortunately, I hate pumpkins and can only tolerate it pureed in a soup It’s not a very useful foodstuff, I would agree. I remember spending tedious hours scraping the innards out of one to please the family… and the end result wasn’t really very good anyway. Though in fact very small ones do actually roast up quite well in the oven with olive oil… a completely different preparation. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/27 "2026-10-14T17:26:27Z")
Pumpkin is neither fish nor flesh. It’s too sweet for my taste in savory dishes, and too bland in cakes and pastries. I also don’t like the texture. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/28 "2026-10-14T18:24:14Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I hope you still have the long white beard! That’s a permanent fixture! I’d wear my cat familiar Sweeper as well, but he does not travel well. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/29 "2026-10-14T20:13:30Z")
Why do the dog skeletons have dog ears and dog noses? ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/30 "2026-10-14T23:15:19Z")
So you can tell they are dogs. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/31 "2026-10-15T10:18:52Z")
Giant spider webs and spiders seem to be the thing around here. One web completely covers the front of a house and the spiders have a 6-8 foot leg span. These are big houses, and I’m sure it all comes apart, but they must take up a lot of room in the house. It’s fun to ride my bike around the ‘hood’ and see what new pops up. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/32 "2026-10-15T11:37:24Z")
There are several of the Giant Spider Webs around here, but b far the most popular thing sems to be Giant Skeletons, both free-standing ones, and ones that appear to be emerging from the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/33 "2026-10-15T11:45:29Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Giant Skeletons I think these were on clearance a few years ago at Home Depot. I’ve seen some yards where they are left out after Halloween and dressed up as Santa. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/34 "2026-10-15T12:25:33Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’ve seen some yards where they are left out after Halloween and dressed up as Santa. 🎅 Cute. We don’t decorate, we do give out candy. We have some sort of multicolored led spinning light like a small disco mirror light on the front porch. Let the kids know that they are welcome for ‘trick or treat’. It’s cute. Never had trick or treaters where we used to live. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/35 "2026-10-15T12:30:59Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I think these were on clearance a few years ago at Home Depot. I’ve seen some yards where they are left out after Halloween and dressed up as Santa. Heck, around here some people leave them up all year and decorate them seasonally. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/36 "2026-10-15T13:13:08Z")
My daughter asked me to make an old fashioned whole baked pumpkin from an old old recipe she found. Hollowed out a little pie pumpkin and poured in cream, brown sugar, and maybe eggs to make a custard. It could be scooped out with some pumpkin and the custard,…I also made a pumpkin pie totally from scratch using a pumpkin I grew myself. They say fresh pumpkin tastes no different than the canned puree, but I disagree, it was just heavenly. Maybe it was the home-made crust and fresh whipped cream that kicked it up a notch. ---
**Author:** ![Kitten\_Mitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kitten\_Mitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitten_Mitten)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804/37 "2026-10-17T00:33:35Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > We usually drag the SoloStove out front and start a roaring fire, complete with Fire Color Crystals to turn it the appropriate blue-green-purple. Thanks for sharing this. I emailed my daughter and her girlfriend and they love the idea and are planning to do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-2026/1033804.md?page=1)