Giant pumpkin and 14kg cabbage draw 20,000 visitors to Estonia's Paunvere fair

The Paunvere exhibition, held for the 27th time over the weekend in Palamuse, Jõgeva County — a settlement of around 550 people — attracted 20,000 visitors. The fair is known for showcasing giant and unusual vegetables.

Giant pumpkin steals the show

The biggest draw was a 53-kilogram pumpkin displayed in the fair's so-called "cuteness tent." Its grower, Toomas Puusepp, said producing a winter squash of that size requires not just rich soil but also constant care — regular watering and attention. He noted that weeds don't grow near such a large pumpkin, though cabbage remains vulnerable to industrious cabbage worms. Puusepp brought his oversized produce to the fair on a lawn tractor: the 53-kilogram pumpkin, a second pumpkin weighing 42 kilograms, and a 14-kilogram cabbage. All three were later sold at the fair's auction.

A mixed harvest year

Despite the standout giants on display, growers reported mixed feelings about this year's harvest overall. Vegetable grower Tatjana said this year's crop was better than last year's and everything grew well, though sales at the fair itself were slower than in previous years due to lower visitor turnout for buying. Cool, rainy spring weather nearly wiped out the open-field cucumber and tomato harvest, and cheaper imported produce is making it harder to sell domestically grown vegetables. Grower Igor said his cucumber yield was half what it was last year — where he once delivered 300 kilograms to each of two stores in Tartu, he now delivers a combined total of 300 kilograms.

By contrast, southern Estonian watermelon grower Raimo managed to defy the region's cool climate, harvesting four tons of watermelon by growing them in open fields under plastic covering that keeps the plants warm in spring.