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Monday, 22 September 2008 |
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By Daniel Iverson
SHELLEY – Shelley City Park hosted the 80th annual Spud Day, declared “potato lover’s paradise,” Saturday despite the intermittent rain. The event was organized by the Shelley Kiwanis Club.  Morning News — Daniel Iverson Local farmers demonstrate potato picking for a competition at Shelley’s 80th annual Spud Day on Saturday.
According to a spud day history produced by event organizers, the Shelley Chamber of Commerce started Spud Day in 1927 to celebrate the russet potato, well known as the premier crop of Idaho farmers.
Spud Day Chairman Gerald Searle said the event used to be at the end of harvest, but it was moved to the beginning to avoid bad weather — ironic, he said, considering it was raining, and the weather was perfect for the 2007 celebration.
Spud Day events started Wednesday at the Idaho Falls Colonial Theater, where Shelley resident Lindsay Nelson was crowned Miss Russet at the annual pageant.
A production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opened at Shelley’s Virginia Theatre on Thursday and continued a run through Saturday.
Saturday began with a pancake breakfast at the Shelley Senior Center. The “Spud Run,” 5k and 10k races, started at Sunrise Elementary School shortly thereafter.
The Spud Day Parade ran along State Street, bringing the usual array of cars, floats and horses. Local politicians and candidates seeking office for the Nov. 4 election participated as well. Dale Christensen of Firth ushered the parade as its Grand Marshal.
Although Mother Nature rained on the parade, Shelley residents dressed warmly and watched from the roadside anyway. Parade participants passed by, smiling and waving from beneath umbrellas and hooded sweatshirts.
The day’s central event was the distribution of about 7,000 baked potatoes, complete with all of the usual toppings, by school groups from Firth and Shelley.
Lines formed more than one hour before the potatoes were to be handed out, and Searle said everyone who wanted one would receive it within the hour.
Potato picking began at noon and pit contestants together to see who could gather the most potatoes from the ground, drop them into a basket and empty the basket into a potato sack for cash prizes.
The event started with professionals demonstrating the picking process. Adults and children of all ages participated, including a division for children under 2 years old. The amount of potatoes required to bag varied by age.
Shelley resident Jenny Baker, whose husband helps to prepare the potatoes for picking and whose children all participated, said the event is her favorite one of Spud Day, which she has attended for five years.
The “Spud Tug,” a traditional tug-o-war competition with a potato-themed twist, was another highlight. Teams attempted to tug each other into the center of the arena, which contained a pit filled by a cement mixer with instant mashed potatoes.
Other activities Saturday included free magic and talent shows, featuring magician Kipp Sherry from Boise and the Firth Community Orchestra, and a demolition derby.
Searle said Spud Day by far is Shelley’s biggest event. He heard reports of people traveling from places as far as Alaska, Florida and Texas to attend class reunions scheduled around the week’s events.
“People just like to come back,” said Searle.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 September 2008 )
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