Charlie Pigott’s 1,000-Pound Pumpkin Returns to Park Slope Brownstone

Residents of Park Slope can once again view a massive pumpkin on the stoop of a brownstone on 8th Avenue. Charlie Pigott, a 60-year-old local real estate broker, hauled the gourd from Pennsylvania and positioned it outside his front door using a forklift. The fruit weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, though Pigott notes it is approximately 100 pounds lighter than the pumpkin displayed last year. He attributes the size reduction to heavy summer rains that stunted growth in the fields.

The installation has drawn crowds of children and adults to the neighborhood. Pigott described hearing laughing children and parents outside his home each morning. He told visitors that they are welcome to stand on the stoop, climb on the pumpkin, and take photographs. The display includes several other pumpkins, weighing between 2 and 120 pounds, as well as bales of hay arranged across the property.

The tradition began when Pigott and his daughter Elizabeth found a 100-pound pumpkin on the side of a road in Connecticut. They dragged the fruit to their home, and the resulting neighborhood interest led them to expand the display annually. Pigott and his children now select pumpkins based on specific criteria, including a perfect orange hue and a thick stem to prevent early rotting. The weight of the main gourd has increased to the point where local teenagers no longer assist with lifting; a forklift is now required for transport.

Northern farms have begun calling Pigott to offer tips on the best pumpkin scores each year. He stated that the annual cost of the hunt is lower than most people assume, citing a 100-pound pumpkin that cost him $50. He described the expense as being repaid by the joy of the community. Teachers from nearby schools use the display as a learning tool for students studying crops, while families take annual photographs to track their children’s growth.

Visitors often rub the pumpkin for good luck. Pigott plans to display the pumpkin until Thanksgiving. At that time, he will cut the gourd open and compost it. He expressed a long-term goal of growing pumpkins large enough to carve into edible boats for children to race in Prospect Lake. He characterized the display as an act of love and gratitude to the community, noting it brings neighbors together.

Pigott warned that he has already heard the joke comparing his name to the character in the Charlie Brown comic strip dozens of times.