Traditional Potato Bowl festivities return to Grand Forks
Sep. 6—GRAND FORKS — Potato Bowl week has arrived with a field of spud-themed events planted across greater Grand Forks to celebrate the region's potato industry and UND football.
This year's celebration will see the return of a more traditional Potato Bowl USA after some of last year's events were canceled or changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're excited to have Potato Bowl week like we've had in the past before COVID, without any interruptions," said Todd Phelps, chairman of the Potato Bowl USA Committee.
French fries, missing from last year's festivities, return to Potato Bowl with the World's Largest French Fry Feed in University Park on Thursday, Sept. 8. The event will have free french fries for all, potato sack races and a fry eating contest.
Last year the event was held as "Potato Bowl in the Park" with an alternate menu of hot dogs and potato chips. Fry provider J.R. Simplot Company was not a part of the event due to COVID-19 concerns.
With Simplot taters on the menu once again, potato lovers can get their french fry fix starting at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The event will also have other food and beverage concession stands, games and activities for kids, live DJs and a chance to meet the Fighting Hawks football players.
Also back this year is the Potato Bowl Golf Tournament at Valley Golf Course in East Grand Forks. The tournament is on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
On Friday Sept. 9, at dusk, a fireworks display will be held on the Greenway, south of the Sorlie Bridge. The Greenway was a new location for the display last year, which was previously held at Memorial Stadium.
Gameday on Saturday, Sept. 10, kicks off with the KEM Shrine Potato Bowl Parade. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and takes place on DeMers Avenue through downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Mike Delisle, an owner of Mayo Manufacturing Company in East Grand Forks, will be the grand marshal of the parade.
Tailgating will take place in the Alerus Center parking lot before the game. Tailgaters can get a free baked potato with all the fixings at the Northern Plains Potato Growers tent.
Kickoff for the 56th Annual Potato Bowl USA Football Game is at 3 p.m. The Fighting Hawks will face the University of Northern Iowa Panthers.
The Potato Bowl tradition started in 1996 when UND and Idaho State football teams, from two of the largest potato-growing regions in the country, the Red River Valley and Idaho, faced each other in Grand Forks. UND beat Idaho State 41-0 in the game.
A full schedule of Potato Bowl events is available at
potatobowl.org/week-at-a-glance
.
