Fun is in store for 2007 Festival August 24-25

Food, Family Fun and many activities make up the Potato Days Festival, held annually the last Friday and Saturday of August in Barnesville, Minn.

The 2007 Festival will be held August 24 and 25.

Well known for its potato production, Barnesville draws on their potato heritage for two days of “spud”riffic fun. Each year, an estimated 14,000 tater lovers from across the country descend on this town of 2,200 to enjoy bushels of free fun for the entire family.

Anyone that has attended the Festival raves about the good food court that serves up the best of potato pancakes, dumplings, Norwegian lefse, French Fries, mashed potato and gravy and potato sausage. There are non-potato items such as pork or beef sandwiches, hamburger, fried bread tacos and smoothies served as well.

The main-stay of the Festival are the potato picking and peeling contests but family fun continues with such events as the sculpting contest, street fair, “eyes of fashion” style show, quilt contest, stage entertainment, mashed potato wrestling contest. There are the cooking contests consisting of making the best lefse entry or the best potato recipe.

The Featured Event at the 2007 Festival is the Classic Car Show. It is the Tenth year of the classic Car Show but in just 3 years the show has gone from 45 entries to 186 entries in 2006. What a sight to see these cars travel down the parade route before the “big parade” on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

The Demolition Derby, a very popular event, was added three years ago and continues to bring in the sport’s enthusiast that likes the banging and clanging of smashing cars.

Other activities include the whist and pinochle tournaments, a horseshoe contest, a Miss Tater Tot contest and a Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head contest. There are dances for all ages. Friday night is a youth dance and Saturday night a street dance for the over 21 crowd.

For those wanting more athletic competition, there are the 3 on 3 basketball tournaments, the 10K/5K/fun Run contests or the Volksmarch.

Whether “spuds” are part of the activity or not, combine all the food and events and you’ve cooked up a “spud”tacular Friday and Saturday while attending the Potato Days Festival in Barnesville, Minn. on August 24 and 25, 2007.