Michael Oliver, of Bristol, and John Nelson, of Long Island, N.Y., load a giant squash to be weighed at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Championship at Frerichs Farm, Warren, last year.

Journal / files

Big things are expected this weekend in Warren: pumpkins.

And we’re not just talking about large ones, but enormous ones. The Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers conduct their annual weigh-off at Frerichs Farm.

In the world of competitive pumpkin growing, these growers are world champs. In 2005, Scott Palmer of Coventry set a world record with a 1,443-pound pumpkin. In 2006, Ron Wallace of Coventry, the president of the organization, broke the world record with 1,502 pounds. And last year, Joe Jutras of Scituate set yet another record with 1,689 pounds.

And now, apparently, that record is ready to be broken.

Steve Connelly of Sharon, Mass., a SNEGPG member, is growing a pumpkin which, based on its measurements, is estimated to weigh about 1,900 pounds.

“We know it’s a world record, if nothing happens to it,” said Barbara Frerichs of Frerichs Farm. “He has to pick it up and move it, and hope it doesn’t have a hole in it.”

“When we first started this in 2000, no one had broken 1,000 pounds. That they grow these pumpkins this big is amazing. It’s exciting to see these things. The people who grow them know all the genetics, the uncles and aunts of every pumpkin.”

Word of this contest and of this pumpkin have spread. Frerichs reports that the Guinness Book of World Records will be at the weigh-in, as will a crew from ABC’s Good Morning America.

The weigh-off typically attracts about 50 entries. When Frerichs Farm began hosting the event, it drew about 100 cars. Now, it draws 1,000. As with the pumpkins themselves, Frerichs said, the event “gets bigger and bigger.”

The weigh-off is Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Frerichs Farm, 43 Kinnicutt Ave., Warren. The pumpkins arrive at 9 a.m. There’s a concert by the Whippet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The weigh-off is from 1 to 3 p.m. During the day, artist Richard Kaiser will carve a large pumpkin. Admission is $5 per car. In the event of rain, the event will move to Sunday. For more information, visit www.frerichsfarm.com or call (401) 245-8245.