FOR RELEASE — Have a “spud-tacular” good time at the Friends of the Greeley Museums’ annual 2017 Potato Day celebration, held Saturday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Centennial Village Museum. The museum, located just south of Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley, is known for its historical buildings, demonstrations and tours.
“If you go to one event at Centennial Village this year, make it Potato Day,” says Potato Day Chairman Nathaniel Johnson. “Museum staff and volunteers bring out as many activities as possible to entertain crowds during this event.”
The event touts musical entertainment, old-fashioned children’s games, historical demonstrations and tours, and more—all located throughout the eight-acre open-air museum. A baked potato is included in every paid admission.
A beer garden will feature a variety of brews served from tap by Crabtree Brewing, some of which include ingredients grown at the City of Greeley Museums’ White-Plumb Farm Learning Center. Proceeds from the beer garden will also benefit the Friends group.
According to the museum’s Development Coordinator Peggy Ford-Waldo, Potato Day is an event steeped in tradition. In fact, Greeley’s economy in the 19th century was largely dependent upon potatoes that reached national markets by rail. In 1894, Greeley citizens paid homage to potatoes and other crops by transforming its downtown Lincoln Park into an agricultural pavilion and hosting a feast to celebrate the harvest. Over 6,000 people attended the event, many coming from Denver on excursion trains. Guests feasted on baked potatoes, coffee, and lamb and beef roasted in barbeque pits dug in the park.
Fast forward to 2017 and Potato Day has become the largest annual fundraiser for the Friends of the Greeley Museums. Since 1987, the group has raised and donated over $400,000 to the City of Greeley Museums for educational programs and preservation projects. Last year the group’s largest contribution was a $40,000 on-site pavilion used for outdoor events.
Potato Day admission is $7.
For more information about Potato Day or the Friends of the Greeley Museums, call 970-350-9220 or visit GreeleyMuseums.com.
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