Good food, live music, beautiful weather and North Carolina's heaviest pumpkin to date, all helped to make this year's annual Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival a success.

The gorgeous Indian summer afternoon provided the crowd with a great backdrop for fun as the musical acts on the main stage located at the intersection of Main and North Bridge Street provided the soundtrack to the festival.

One of the highlights of this year's festival was the second annual Great Pumpkin Weigh-off, which took place at Smith-Phillips Lumber and Building Supply on Standard Street. This was the second year the festival served as a sanctioned weigh-in site for competitors.

Sam Lovelace of Sparta won the competition with a 1,178.9-pound pumpkin, setting a new state record in the process. Also on Saturday in an out-of state registration, a world record was set at 1,698 pounds.

All other entries in previous Yadkin Valley weigh-ins have come in under 1,000 pounds.

Lovelace said he started 10 pumpkins this year with the record setter being his prize. Lovelace also entered two other pumpkins into the competition and a 676.4 pound squash.

In his fifth year growing the massive pumpkins, Lovelace said its about "seeing them get big."

"I went to the Mountain State Fair and saw one of the biggest ever in the state," he said starting his endeavor into growing giant pumpkins. Chris Kent, who brought his 1,045 pound pumpkin from Sevierville, Tenn., said it is a unique hobby.

"There's nothing that you can grow that can get that big," Kent said. "It's kind of addictive. Once it hits the 100 pound mark you can see it grow 25 to 30 pounds a day."

Misty Matthews with the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce said Lovelace and Brad Holder of Linwood, North Carolina, who provided the scale and was the official weigher, were important additions to this years weigh-off.

"They have made this event better," Matthews said. "We would be clueless without them."

Daniel Heiner of Elkin ran away with one of two pumpkin pie eating contests later in the afternoon, while some contestants bit off a little more than they could chew, having to make a quick exit into Diana's bookstore to relieve the pressure.

Some of the other sights and sounds of the festival included performances by local dance studios, sidewalk musicians, and a fashion show.

Dance Upstairs and The Academy of Dance Arts and Performance both put on exhibitions of their ongoing work with area youth. A large crowed gathered outside Dance Upstairs early in the afternoon to see a performance while Surry Central freshmen Taylor Casey performed a baton routine for The Academy of Dance Arts in Performance show in front of the Reeves Theatre.

Jamie Carroll, a local singer/songwriter, gave a softer alternative to the louder, more upbeat sounds of the main stage groups, performing outside Snickerdoodles on Main Street. Carroll's inspirational songs went well with the laid back relaxing feel of the festival.

The Clifford Morrison Juried Art Show announced its winners Saturday at a reception at the Foothills Arts Council. Top prizes in the adult division went to Justin Lanier for his mixed media piece entitled "Cosmic Kettle" and Tony Bottomley for his oil painting entitled "Wardens Woods." Those and the rest of the shows pieces will be on display through October, with some open for sale to the public.