“Spud”tacular and a”peel”ing events attract over 14,000 people from across the nation

Food, family fun and many events make up the Potato Days Festival, held annually Friday and Saturday, August 22 & 23 in Barnesville, Minn..

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 potatoes and gravy and potato sausage. There are non-potato items such as pork or beef sandwiches, hamburgers, fried bread tacos and smoothies served as well.

The main-stay of the festival is the potato peeling and potato picking contest but family fun continues with such events as the mashed potato wrestling competition, strong man contests sculpting contest, street fair, 'eyes of fashion' style show, quilt contest, stage entertainment and the every growing classic car show. Also there are the cooking contests consisting of making the best lefse entry or the best potato recipe.

The featured event at the 2008 festival is the mashed potato wrestling competition. This event grows a bigger crowd every year with its crowd pleasing contestants. People come from all over to enter in this fun, family competition.

The demolition derby, a very popular event, continues to grow and 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. For the chocolate lover there is the chocolate festival. 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 softball tournament, the 10k/5k/fun run contests or the volksmarch.

The United Nations voted 2008 as the "international year of the potato" and we have our local festival which promotes potatoes and what a great place to celebrate but at Potato Days 2008!

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 22 and 23, 2008.

For more information check out the festival’s website at www.potatodays.com or for a free brochure including a complete schedule of events call the “spud”line at 800-525-4901.