Manhattan’s favorite summer event is back in town. It’s the 37th annual potato festival celebrating the crop, the farmers who grow them, and the folks going out of their way to prepare them.
Barb Schneidenbach is the President of the Manhattan Senior Center where some serious work is being done to make the annual potato fest spud-tacular.
400 potatoes are wrapped in foil, ready to hit the oven.
“We will start baking at 6 tomorrow morning,” Schniedenbach said.
The potatoes with all the fixings are $8 and the hotdogs are $5.
Barb says they’re raising money to buy a new commercial fridge for the senior center.
“To help with the meals at lunchtime, so come on down, and enjoy,” Schneidenbach said. “We’ll sell them until we’re sold out.”
Director of the Manhattan potato festival, Lori Meyers says as long as Manhattan has been around, there’s been potato farming and ranching.
And that’s worth celebrating.
“Back to school, end of summer, the harvest, and everything that makes Manhattan so special,” Meyers said.
Meyers says they’ll also be celebrating the life of someone very special to the community. 17-year-old Delaney Doherty.
Delaney was killed on August 3 when a 20-year-old driver crossed the center line, hitting Delaney head-on.
Meyers says folks will be wearing pink in her honor.
“Delaney is just a beloved light in our community taken too soon and we’re really gonna miss her in the parade this year,” Meyers said. “We just wanted to come together and shower the family with love, support, and celebrate her life.”
To see a full list of events at the potato festival, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/spudfest2021?mibextid=LQQJ4d.
