60th Annual Potato Bowl USA Week is here!
Beloved community celebration returns for its sixth decade with French Fry Feed, parade and Fighting Hawks football
The french fries are back, and so is one of the Red River Valley’s most beloved traditions.
Potato Bowl USA is celebrating its 60th annual festival, bringing a week of community events, family activities and Fighting Hawks football to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, through Sept. 5. The annual celebration honors the region’s rich potato-growing heritage and the longstanding partnership between the University of North Dakota and the Red River Valley potato industry.
One of the week’s signature events, the world-famous French Fry Feed, returns to University Park today, Thursday, Sept. 3, beginning at 4 p.m. Along with enjoying plenty of hot french fries, attendees can visit a Kids Fun Zone, featuring inflatable games, face painting, a magic show and other family-friendly activities.
The celebration continues throughout the week with events including the Get Wet & Run Wild Kids Fun Run on Friday, Sept. 4, at Choice Health & Fitness. The fun run invites children 14 and younger to tackle a variety of water-themed obstacles while helping raise funds for local food banks.
Saturday’s festivities begin with the KEM Shrine Potato Bowl Parade, billed as the region’s largest parade. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, winding through downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks before attention turns to the football field.
The week culminates with the Potato Bowl USA football game, as the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks take on the St. Thomas Tommies, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Alerus Center. Tailgating and gameday activities will surround the matchup, with parking lots opening at 8 a.m.
Potato Bowl USA has grown from a local celebration into a regional tradition over the past six decades, bringing together community members, visitors, students, alumni and fans to celebrate agriculture, education and football in the Red River Valley.
For a complete schedule of events and additional information, visit potatobowl.org.
