More often than not, people of small towns have a knack for finding the exceptional in the mundane. They also understand what binds their citizenry together. And even in today’s complex, interconnected world, those binds hold strong. You’ll find no better example of such authentic Americana than just a few miles south of Idaho Falls, where locals and visitors alike flock to the community of Shelley. They gather here on the third Saturday of every September to recognize our state’s pride and joy — the venerable potato.
The 86-year old tradition is known far and wide as Idaho Spud Day.
With its 2014 theme, “On Top of the World,” Spud Day hits its celebratory crescendo on Saturday, Sept. 20. In the preceding days, the excitement begins with the annual Miss Russet Pageant, set for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Miss Russet is a long-cherished event of its own that dates back to 1931 with the crowning of a “Spud Day Queen” and Miss Shelley. According to records from the Shelley Kiwanis Club, which organizes the Idaho Spud Day celebration, pageant contestants in the early years “sold Booster Buttons to help finance the celebration and the winners were sent on an all expense paid trip to the World’s Fair.”
In its modern incarnation, senior-class girls participate in the pageant to demonstrate poise, beauty, talent and community service. (The winner and top three runner-ups earn $1000, $750, $500 and $250 scholarships, respectively.)
On Friday, it’s a foot-racing free-for-all with the annual “Tater Trot,” which kicks off at 3 p.m.
In recent years, the trot has grown into one of the celebration’s most endearing precursory events, which invites kids from ages 2 to 12 to slip on their sneakers and test their endurance at the Shelley High School track. The races cover numerous divisions, all chaperoned and supported by the high school’s own track-and-field athletic teams. Last year’s head count topped 500 kids.
For early birds, the morning of Spud Day itself begins with the aroma of hash browns, pancakes, scrambled eggs and other a.m. goodies with the Quick Response Unit’s Pancake Breakfast, held at the Shelley Senior Center. Or if you’d rather jumpstart the day with a little more pep to your step, the 20th Annual Spud Run is set for 7 a.m. Winding through the ’burbs east of State Street, it features 5K, 10K and half marathon divisions for runners 12 and up. Unique finisher medals will be given to all half-marathon finishers as well as top 5K and 10K finishers. (Brett Hill with Vector Timing will be the official timer.) Unlike previous years, the 2014 race will not include race-day registrations, so sign up early at idahospudday.com if you plan on participating.
One of the more curious attractions to Spud Day is the ping-pong drop. Just look straight up after the children’s parade passes by on Main Street, and before long you’ll see a small airplane swooping just above the highway, where it will make numerous passes as it sprinkles more than 4,000 ping-pong balls over the crowd. Selected balls are stamped with vouchers for prizes from local merchants. In addition, the Shelley Kiwanis Club will be donating two $50 balls redeemed at the information booth or at participating businesses.
As the main parade winds down, the festival ramps up. Carnival events cover the entirety of the city park’s Dawn Lloyd Field, including such annual draws as the World's Potato Picking Championships, the famous Spud Tug over a pit of mashed potatoes, a community orchestra and a free baked-potato giveaway. Sack races, a horseshoe tournament and numerous food vendors help round out the fun.
At 5 p.m., the celebration caps off with the 20th Annual Spud Day Demolition Derby at North Bingham County Park. Sponsored by the City of Shelley and its namesake Kiwanis Club, the derby brings drivers and attendees from all over the region to compete for cash prizes up to $3000. Entries are open to anyone 18 and over with a valid driver’s license and are at least 18 years old. Pricing runs $8 per person and five-ticket family passes for $30.
Sound like enough excitement for an otherwise quiet day in mid-September? For all the relevant Spud-Day details, schedules, entry forms, photo galleries, a video presentation and much more, visit the new Shelley Kiwanis Club’s event page at idahospudday.com.