You can say what you want about Illinois, but do not doubt the Land of Lincoln is the king of pumpkins and there really isn't a close second.

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When I say that science has declared Illinois the best pumpkin place in the history of ever, I'm talking about NASA. They say (and I quote) "From Patches to Pies, Illinois Knows Pumpkins". That's a fact. They even provided a handy map showing pumpkin patches (I think) in Illinois as seen by satellite (NASA does this I guess) from October of last year.

NASA
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Get this. NASA said that Illinois harvested 652 million pounds of Jack-O-Lanterns in the pumpkin stage. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks that Haddonfield, Illinois would be mighty proud of this.

All Michael Myers kidding aside, Illinois' pumpkin heritage is to be celebrated. If you haven't been to Morton, Illinois in the Fall, you're officially missing out. Pumpkins have and will be chucked there.

It gets even better for Illinois as NASA also bragged on the Land of Lincoln saying it was responsible for 90% of all the pumpkin pie filling in America. Well done. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without this spirited Illini pumpkin effort.

What Do Different Color Pumpkins Mean?

Orange may be the most popular color of pumpkins during the fall season, but you'll more than likely spot a variety of colored gourds on doorsteps in the fall. And yes, they all have a meaning behind them. Good Housekeeping breaks it down: