FOR RELEASE: GREELEY, CO—On Saturday, September 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Friends of the Greeley Museums will host its largest event of the year, Potato Day. Held at Centennial Village Museum, 1475 A St., Potato Day includes a host of fun activities including musical entertainment, old-fashioned children’s games, a used book sale, a beer garden, historical demonstrations and tours, and more—all located throughout Greeley’s eight-acre open-air living history museum.

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. The Potato Day event pays homage to this part of Northern Colorado’s history.

Fast forward to 2018 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.

Admission to Potato Day is $7 per person ages 3+, and includes a baked potato with each paid admission.

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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