Leonardo Urena's 2, 175-pound pumpkin won the top prize at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off contest (Credit: miramarevents.com)

Though they may not take center stage the rest of the year, pumpkins are the squashy stars of October. Some make an appearance inside popular treats like lattes, cookies, and pies, while others are carved into spooky Halloween jack-o'-lanterns. Then there are the select few whose only purpose is to win pumpkin weigh-off contests. Though numerous such events are held across the US, the "Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs” takes place annually at Half Moon Bay, CA, which prides itself as the “World Pumpkin Capital.”