MONTE VISTA-The 2018 San Luis Valley Potato Festival will be held September 8 in Monte Vista.  The Potato Festival is held each year to celebrate the potato harvest and the potato industry in the San Luis Valley. This year’s festival has some big changes and promises to be the biggest yet! 

The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) is pleased to announce that Octane Addictions will be the entertainer for the 2018 Annual Potato Festival. Join us for a night full of motorsport freestyle. Scheduled to attend are X-Game riders, Nate Adams, Willie Elam, Kyle Demelo, Josh Penner, and James Carter. Octane Addictions is a family oriented extreme motorsport company. They provide one of the biggest aerial stunt shows. Tickets are FREE for Children 5 and under, $8 for children ages 6-12, $15 for 12 years and older, and we offer a family pass which includes two adult and two children (6-12) tickets for $40,they’re available to purchase online at https://coloradopotatoes-oa.eventbrite.com/ or at the Colorado Potatoes office in Monte Vista (1305 Park Avenue). Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Ski-Hi Arena. There will food and drinks.

The Potato Festival kicks off at 8 a.m. with the 5K Spud Run/Walk. The proceeds from this 5K will benefit local San Luis Valley pediatric diabetes patients. This event is sponsored and organized by the Monte Vista Recreation Department, SLV Health, Farm Fresh Direct and CPAC, and features potato-themed obstacles such as the potato-sack-hop and mashed potato crawl. Pre-Register for the 5K at https://www.coloradopotato.org/potatofestival/ Each participant will receive a commemorative t-shirt for participating!

From 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Chapman Park in Monte Vista will feature a host of Potato Festival activities.  There will be food and craft vendors, reptiles from the Colorado Gators Reptile Park, Antique Tractors from the Antique Iron Club, and a Truck and Semi Show. The San Luis Valley Community Band will be performing at 10 a.m.

There is also plenty of fun for children.  There will be bouncy houses, a trampoline quad-jump, mini-train rides, an archery instruction at 1 p.m., the famous mashed potato dunk tank throughout the day, plus many more kid’s games; all free to the public. 

Chef Demonstrations are a long-time tradition at the San Luis Valley Potato Festival. This year, there will be a demonstration by Chef Carrie Baird at 1 p.m. Bar Dough Executive Chef and Partner Carrie Baird has made a name for herself leading the kitchens of some of the most highly regarded restaurants in Denver over the last two decades, including Rioja and Euclid Hall. She believes great food comes from cooking from your heart and is passionate about working with Colorado’s local farmers and ranchers to develop her menus. Most recently, Baird was a competitor on Top Chef Colorado, the 15th season of the acclaimed cooking show, where she quickly became a fan-favorite among her Denver audience and all the way across the country and finished the season as one of the final four chefs.

Back by popular demand, there will be agricultural tours for those wishing to learn more about the Colorado potato industry! The San Luis Central Railroad will be offering narrated train rides where participants can ride the train from Fullenwider Park past various potato fields. The rides will take approximately one hour and will depart from Fullenwider Park. There will also be a Field and Farm tour departing from Chapman Park at 8 a.m. and returning at 11 a.m.  Hosted by the Executive Director of Colorado Potatoes, Jim Ehrlich, this tour will visit a local grower’s field and the San Luis Valley Research Center. Passengers will get to talk directly with growers and researchers, and get to see firsthand how potatoes are grown in the San Luis Valley.  Spaces on all agricultural tours can be reserved through the Colorado Potatoes office at (719) 852-3322 or by emailing Jess at [email protected]. Please reserve your spot today!   

For the complete schedule and more information, visit coloradopotato.org/potatofestival.