After a 16 year hiatus, Potato Fest has officially returned to Medaryville! The excitement all kicked off on Saturday, August 17, when eventgoers had the chance to dive into some small-town fun while accompanied by a treat inspired by a very well-loved vegetable.
Nicknamed Tater Town, Medaryville is rich in potato history. Potato farmers have inhabited the area for quite some time, and the festival serves as a way to honor the town’s unique background.
“We've had big potato farmers here for many, many years,” said Ashlee Salyer, Medaryville town council vice president and Potato Fest committee member. “I grew up in a town just about six miles north of here, and we always have called it Tater Town. My dad who is from the old school generation, the previous generation, and all the baby boomers still called this area Tater Town because it was known far and wide for its potatoes and its potato production.”
Medaryville is also packed with residents who share a deep passion for their hometown, including Christie and Cheyenne Zimmerman, a duo inspired to bring back Potato Fest to keep the town’s history, community, and camaraderie alive both now and in the years to come.
“We wanted to bring some enjoyment and morale back to our small town, and something that people will look forward to every year,” Christie Zimmerman said. “For me, it is very exciting to be able to bring this back for my grandkids to enjoy hopefully for years to come. I'm very excited to be able to do this. We've had a lot of fun doing this, and I've been able to learn a lot about the Medaryville area.”
From there a full group was recruited, and the town got to work to get the ball rolling. It was an exciting time for Medaryville - previously, many were hesitant when the idea of bringing Potato Fest back was mentioned. Thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of the Zimmerman’s, however, that thought process has completely changed, allowing many to fully see all the wonderful things the town has to offer.
“At a town council meeting one evening, Christie and Cheyenne Zimmerman came in and said, ‘Hey, we want to do this. We're volunteering. We think we can pull it off. Can we get your support and permission to do it?’ We said, ‘Absolutely,’” Salyer said. “There were a lot of barriers and a lot of obstacles that we had to navigate and intertwine with the town to work out some ordinances, and do some stuff behind the scenes, but we wanted to do everything possible to bring it back.”
Now everyone has the chance to celebrate Medaryville pride in an action-packed weekend filled with a parade, games, music, and much more.
The Potato Fest also isn’t complete, of course, without an homage to the source that started it all as well.
“Our local elevator that used to process grain here in Medaryville was purchased by Lennard Ag just a year and a half ago, which is producing and processing potatoes here. It has really come back to life, and it's been years since that's happened. We're excited to have Lennard Ag here and have them processing potatoes – semi trucks full of potatoes are coming through the town again, and that's a really cool piece of history that we are excited to see come back to life,” Salyer said. “We also have a small business owner here in town who actually won Business of the Year for our whole county last year, and that would be Rebecca. She owns the Pizza King here in town, but they are not operating as a Pizza King this weekend. They are doing everything potatoes – french fries, baked potatoes, with all the fixings and toppings we have, and much more.”
A couple of special guests have also made an appearance this weekend - two giant paper mache potatoes with a unique piece of Medaryville history.
“Nobody's expecting them. We went and got them in the night out of the old garment factory, which was a huge deal in Medaryville. We actually peaked, found them, and called the guy who owns the building. He said, ‘Sure take them.’ We covered them up to hide them, and then we had to drive them to a secret location. They're probably 10 to 12 feet – when I say they're big potatoes, they're big potatoes,” Salyer said. “I love the fact that they're vintage. The apron on the lady potato has been on there for 25 plus years, and it held up fairly well. It’s cool that our older generation, and even people who were kids at the time, will be able to remember what all happened and how those potatoes were made and displayed. It's just a cool conversation for our town.”
With Potato Fest back in full swing, the Zimmermans, Salyer, and the entire town of Medaryville hope to keep the momentum even after this year’s fun has wrapped. Putting this together and seeing it all happen has been a miraculous time for all, and they can’t wait to come back with even greater ideas in the years ahead.
“We're just really excited. We're happy to be able to bring this back to our community,” Christie Zimmerman said. “Hopefully we can bring back the morale and inspire more people in our community and our small town here to do more for the town, get involved with us, and help us bring back bigger and better things for the years to come.”
There’s also still time to get your potato fix! Potato Fest runs through Sunday, August 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and has many things in store. Stop by so you don’t miss out on all things potatoes.
To learn more about the many exciting events in Pulaski County such as the Potato Fest, visit its website at pulaskionline.org.
