Hopkins is now the home of the world's largest raspberry monument

Minneapolis' iconic spoon-and-cherry sculpture has some stiff competition coming from Hopkins, now home to the world's largest raspberry monument.

The giant raspberry sculpture was unveiled Saturday afternoon as part of the kickoff festivities for the 83rd annual Hopkins Raspberry Festival. Erected off Mainstreet on Eighth Avenue, it weighs 1,000 pounds, hangs from a 22-foot steel vine and cost $55,000 to make.

"We're calling it the world's largest until proven otherwise," said Ben Janssens, the Minneapolis sculptor who built the monument.

The raspberry was the brainchild of Dr. Peter L'Allier, owner of the Hopkins Health & Wellness Center. He said he wanted a way to commemorate the city's historic connection to raspberry picking.

"I don't think there's a better thing we could do in the Hopkins community to honor" the city, he said.

What do you do after claiming to create the world's largest raspberry sculpture?

"We're going to submit this to the Guinness World Records," L'Allier said.

Miguel Otárola