The 2006 Potato Festival

(Click photos for larger view) Potato Eating Contest
First person to down a potato (or half a potato for our young competitors) was the winner of our potato eating contest. This contest was great fun for all ages. In fact it was so much fun, our chicken Rhoda (we named her Rhoda because she is a Rhode Island Red chicken) & her rider Brittany couldn't help but join in! We found that the adults took this contest very seriously. In fact, so many adults signed up, we had to have semi-final rounds to lead into a final round. The crowd was great and cheered them on to victory. (Note: Many of our contestants found that there was no need to buy lunch after participating in this event).

Hot Potato
We could not leave this game out of our festival. It was played with a real hot potato (but not so hot that it burned fingers!) This game was fun for all ages; and although you can't tell from the photos, those potatoes were flying around the circle. Because she would have difficulty passing the potato, Rhoda, our chicken, helped to judge the event & made certain that everyone played fair.

Potato Sack Races
This challenging event was packed with fun & laughter. Time was of the essence as the first one across the line was our winner. Each participant in every event was awarded a prize, so it truly was all fun and games. Even our chicken Rhoda & her rider Brittany jumped in a couple of rounds.

Live Performers
Makin' Music hit the stage in the afternoon for a 3 hour set of fun kids' music and crazy contests. From Karaoke to hula-hoop contests, kids and parents were having a blast! When you weren't catching a musical show, you might have stumbled across our strolling act, The Magical Illusions of Kyle & Kelly. These two performers were full of fun surprises.

Potato Slinger Our pumpkin slinger turned into a potato slinger for one day only. Those spuds could really fly.

Alpacas
Our special guests from Eastland Alpacas in Mt. Joy brought their furry friends. The alpacas looked so soft & cuddly you just had to touch them. Eastland Alpacas also brought some of their top quality alpaca wool products, which were available for sale. You can learn more about them from their website www.eastlandalpacas.com/index.shtml

Potato Scramble
This event was thought up just for the little tykes. Much like an Easter Egg Hunt, we hid potatoes all through our Lil' Farmer's Playland. The kids circled up to hear the instructions and then we turned them loose. The potatoes were not hidden for long, as the kids found them in every nook and cranny. Once all of the potatoes were found, there was a mad rush to exchange the potatoes for prizes (each potato was numbered and could be exchanged for a corresponding prize). Even Rhoda & Brittany helped to hand out the prizes.

Heading Home At the end of a long day, everyone was very tired. In fact, Rhoda, the chicken and her rider Brittany even convinced Jason to give them a ride back to the barn.