UND Today

University of North Dakota’s Official News Source

PHOTOS: Potato Bowl USA celebrates 60 years

September 10, 2026
by Nikki Krueger

Rain couldn’t dampen the celebration as a week of community traditions culminated in a 62-26 Fighting Hawks victory

UND color guard members carrying green Fighting Hawks flags lead the Pride of the North marching band down a downtown street.
UND’s Pride of the North marching band and color guard make their way through downtown Grand Forks during the Potato Bowl Parade. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

It wouldn’t be Potato Bowl Week without french fries, a parade and Fighting Hawks football — though the 60th annual celebration also brought plenty of rain.

For six decades, Potato Bowl USA has brought the University of North Dakota and the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks community together to celebrate the Red River Valley’s potato-growing heritage, and this year’s milestone edition continued the tradition.

Festivities stretched throughout the week, with the annual French Fry Feed drawing crowds to University Park on Thursday. Despite thunderstorms cutting the event short, visitors still had a chance to enjoy free french fries and family activities before the weather moved in.

Saturday morning brought another Potato Bowl tradition: the KEM Shrine Potato Bowl Parade through downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Once again, UND students, employees, organizations and fans were well represented along the route, even as rain made another appearance.

Then it was on to the Alerus Center, where the Fighting Hawks provided a decisive finish to the week with a 62-26 victory over St. Thomas in the 60th annual Potato Bowl USA football game. The victory capped another Potato Bowl Week filled with the traditions that have made the celebration a fixture in the Grand Cities since 1966.

Take a look at some of the sights from the 60th annual Potato Bowl USA celebration in the photos below.

A smiling UND volunteer wearing a green Fighting Hawks shirt and blue gloves serves french fries from a large container.
UND volunteers help keep the fries flowing during the annual Potato Bowl French Fry Feed. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.
A volunteer wearing blue gloves pours freshly cooked french fries from a metal basket into a large container.
Fresh fries are prepared for the crowd at the annual Potato Bowl French Fry Feed. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.
Volunteers serve food from beneath a large tent as a crowd waits in line at the Potato Bowl French Fry Feed.
A crowd lines up for one of Potato Bowl Week’s tastiest traditions at the annual French Fry Feed. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.
A white Labrador retriever wearing a black and green UND jersey stands along the Potato Bowl Parade route.
Even four-legged Fighting Hawks fans got into the Potato Bowl spirit during the week’s festivities. Photo by Owen Britton/UND Today.
UND color guard members perform with large green Fighting Hawks flags at the intersection of DeMers Avenue during the Potato Bowl Parade.
Members of the UND color guard bring Fighting Hawks spirit to the streets during the Potato Bowl Parade. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
Aerial view of crowds, tents, vehicles and tailgating activities filling the parking lot outside the Alerus Center.
Potato Bowl tailgating fills the parking lot outside the Alerus Center ahead of UND’s matchup with St. Thomas. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
Fans wearing UND green and black walk among tailgating tents, vehicles and crowds outside the Alerus Center.
Fans gather outside the Alerus Center for tailgating before the Potato Bowl football game. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
Two smiling fans wearing UND shirts walk through a crowd outside the Alerus Center.
Fans decked out in UND gear head toward the Potato Bowl festivities outside the Alerus Center. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
A group of students dressed in UND green and black cheer with their arms raised in the stands.
Fighting Hawks fans cheer on UND during the 60th annual Potato Bowl football game. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
UND cheerleaders perform stunts along the sideline as two team members are tossed into the air.
UND cheerleaders perform along the sideline during the Potato Bowl game at the Alerus Center. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
A UND football player carries the ball into the end zone with a St. Thomas defender pursuing him.
UND finds the end zone during its 62-26 Potato Bowl victory over St. Thomas. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.
A student waves a large green UND Fighting Hawks flag above a cheering student section at the Alerus Center.
The UND student section shows its Fighting Hawks spirit during the Potato Bowl football game at the Alerus Center. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

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Nikki Krueger is the editor of UND Today. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Scientific & Technical Communication, she worked in pharmaceutical research before joining UND in 2010. Krueger serves as communications director in the Division of Marketing & Communications.

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