Giant-Pumpkin Grower Brandon Dawson Shares Top Sonoma County Spots

When he's not busy growing the largest pumpkin in California, Brandon Dawson finds respite and family fun at these local destinations.


By Jennifer Graue

Harvest season is a high-stakes proposition for giant-pumpkin grower Brandon Dawson, who lives in Santa Rosa with his wife and two young children.

Last year, Dawson grew California’s largest pumpkin in his backyard in Rincon Valley. The behemoth he named Seymour weighed in at 2,465 pounds and just narrowly missed winning the prestigious and lucrative Half Moon Bay World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

Dawson grew up on a rural property in southwest Santa Rosa where he learned a love for all things outdoors and inherited his green thumb from his mom, Pattie, a Sonoma County Master Gardener. Dawson is concerned about his pumpkin-growing prospects this year due to a cool start to the growing season and shares his trials and triumphs on YouTube and Instagram.

Editor’s note: At the 52nd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Oct. 13, Dawson won the top prize with the largest pumpkin, weighing 2,346 pounds.

Pumpkin grower Brandon Dawson
Brandon Dawson shows off a 1,600-pound pumpkin before loading it into his truck for a weigh-off Oct. 4, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

As a kid, Dawson recalls having birthday parties at Furlong Gulch Beach. These days he likes to take his kids for a gentle amble along the Kortum Trail, which offers easy access to the small, scenic beach. “It’s all about timing with the weather.” A self-professed weather geek, he checks to make sure there’s an offshore flow, ensuring a sunny day. Sonoma Coast State Park, Highway 1, Bodega Bay. parks.ca.gov

Hiking along the Kortum Trail on the Sonoma Coast. (Jerry Dodrill)
Hiking along the Kortum Trail on the Sonoma Coast. (Jerry Dodrill)
Pumpkin grower Brandon Dawson favorite, Jack London Lodge
The Saloon at The Jack London Lodge in Glen Ellen. (Kim Carroll)

Dawson heads to Glen Ellen for dinners out. When the weather is nice, the creekside patio at The Saloon at The Jack London Lodge is a favorite family spot. For date nights Dawson and his wife, Zelda, like Glen Ellen Star. His go-to menu item is the wood-roasted seasonal vegetables, and he likes to sit at the bar to watch the chefs work their pizza oven magic. “How they go about it is kind of exciting.” 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. 707-343-1384, glenellenstar.com

Roasted Red Kuri with Harissa and Roasted Pepitas from the Glen Ellen Star restaurant. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Roasted red kuri with harissa and roasted pepitas from the Glen Ellen Star restaurant. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
A collection of birch trees and other varietals cast their reflections into the lower pond at Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen. (Charlie Gesell / The Press Democrat)
Birch trees and shrubs cast their reflections into the lower pond at Sonoma Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen. (Charlie Gesell / The Press Democrat)

“I’m really into native plants, and I recently re-did the front yard.” Dawson finds inspiration at the Sonoma Botanical Garden, in particular their recent focus on native California species including oak woodlands, stands of manzanita, and the rich variety of wildlife they support. 12841 Highway 12, Glen Ellen. 707-996-3166, sonomabg.org

With a day-job in the auto industry, Dawson enjoys going for drives. One of his favorites routes is along Coleman Valley Road because it offers “a great snapshot of the flora and fauna of Sonoma County.” Winding from Occidental to the coast, the scenery changes from redwoods to oak woodlands, then coastal chaparral. But Dawson warns, “It’s not the best sports car drive.”