All good things must come to an end and Brownie's annual Pumpkin Party is no exception.

Next Year, Les Brown says, it will be the last.

He and his wife Cilla have decided the pumpkin run is over after 25 years of organisation.

Since they started in 1995, literally thousands of dollars have been raised for charity.

On Easter Monday, $700 was raised for Rotorua Hospice.

As importantly, the annual party drew in many urban and rural friends of Cilla and Les (always known as Brownie) who, given a pumpkin plant to sew each October, joined a race for the biggest end result.

Of the original entrants, only Cilla and Les and Alan and Raewyn Lane were the only originals, entering in each of the 24 years. Both families are expected to enter the final day next year.

'It has been a lot of fun,” Brownie says.

'That and the money raised for the charity through the choice of the owner of the winning pumpkin impelled us to keep going.”

The weather generally played fair for each of the Easter Mondays the competition was held.

For many years, the day was reported in the now defunct Rotorua Review.

The day proved so popular that the rival daily newspaper entered into the spirit of it with a rival competition.

As it involved mainly retail, it was short-lived.

A variety of prizes, thanks to key sponsorships, a rigid entry regimen and goodwill marked the success of the pumpkin party.

Compared with some high growth areas, the pumpkins were not among the heaviest in the country, but they were uniformly large.

This year's winner – not surprisingly – was Mark Dibley's 202kgs pumpkin.

To retain a family flavour, second place went to Mark's wife, Sophie, with a weigh-on at 127.5kgs.

Hosts Cilla and Les Brown pictured with last years' winning pumpkin, entered by Mark Dibley.