Sep. 11—GRAND FORKS — The Red River Valley potato takes center stage this week as organizers gear up for the 58th Annual Potato Bowl USA events.
Sponsored by the Northland Potato Growers Association, scheduled events feature a number of activities aimed at highlighting one of this region’s most important staple crops.
Everyone is invited to “come out and help us celebrate a ‘tateriffic’ week,” the association says in an online post.
Lots of activities are planned, including the World’s Largest French Fry Feed at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at University Park and the KEM Shrine Potato Bowl Parade beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. The route for the parade, sponsored by Opp Construction, runs along DeMers Avenue, starting at Eighth Street, through downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.
The parade will precede the Potato Bowl football game, at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Alerus Center. The game will pit the UND Fighting Hawks against the Idaho State University Bengals. Tailgating begins at 8 a.m. Doors open at noon.
Leading up to game day, 26 teams have signed up to compete in the Hugo’s Potato Bowl Golf Tournament, set to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Valley Golf Course in East Grand Forks. Every year during Potato Bowl Week, the event draws a number of four-member teams to this course.
On Thursday and Friday, Sept. 12 and 13, all Hugo’s Family Marketplace stores will feature a baked potato bar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop at the deli’s loaded baked potato bar, choose your meat — chili or taco — and garnish with an assortment of toppings including salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and bacon bits. The cost of the spud and a soda is $4.
The annual french fry feed, with free fries provided by the J.R. Simplot Co., begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at University Park. Come hungry; organizers always hope to set a new record. Simplot operates a fry plant on Gateway Drive.
The current cumulative french fries-eating record, 8,154 pounds, was set in September 2017, which broke the former record of 5,220 pounds set in 2015.
The feed, a massive community event, will also feature food and soda concessions, a kids fun zone, potato sack races, live DJ entertainment and the chance to meet UND Fighting Hawks athletes.
The UND fan luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the Alerus Center.
Also on Friday, the 14th Annual Hugo’s Potato Bowl “Get Wet & Run Wild!” 1K and 2K races are planned for Choice Health and Fitness. A free swim is available for all racers and their families afterward.
Registration for the event, which is open to kids of all ages, up to age 14, is set for 4 to 5 p.m., with the 1K race beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the 2K at 5:50 p.m. All entry fees will be donated to the food pantry. All pre-registered participants are guaranteed to receive an animal baseball cap.
For more information, go to
www.choicehf.com/get-wet-run-wild/
or call (701) 746-2790.
The Northland Potato Growers Association represents a group of 250 growers and shippers across the Red River Valley. The association was formed in 1946 by potato growers looking to unify the Valley’s potato industry. The group sponsored the first Potato Bowl Week, in conjunction with UND, in the fall of 1966.
The Red River Valley is the largest producer of potatoes in the nation, according to Visit Grand Forks, the local convention and visitors bureau. This area ranks high in yellow potato production, too.
The Red River Valley of the North — and the surrounding region — is one of the most fertile farming regions in the world, according to the Northland Potato Growers Association. Across the northern Plains region, potatoes are grown on 72,000 acres in North Dakota and 8,800 acres in Minnesota.
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Publish date : 2024-09-11 03:37:00
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