Potato Day celebrates Carbondale’s 125th

Potato Day celebrates Carbondale’s 125th

Sopris Sun Staff Report

The 104th annual Potato Day celebrates all 125 years of Carbondale’s history, with the Tater Trot on Sept. 27 and a parade, farmer’s market, barbecue, music and more on Sept. 28.

Naturally, this year’s parade theme is “Happy Birthday, Carbondale.”

Service sorority Xi Gamma Tau, with about 15 members, is the primary organizer this year, according to Lisa Quint, although don’t be surprised to see members of Beta Epsilon pitching in.

“They’ve retired from organized it, but are helping out,” Quint said.

In the early 1990s, both sororities stepped up to take over the event after the previous long-time organizers hung up their potato sacks.

This year marks the return of Potato Day being held the same weekend as Roaring Fork High School’s homecoming. The school’s Zack Ritchie filed the following report (which has been edited due to space limitations):

“As we all know, you, as a member of this community, are interested in what the high school is doing. So for your benefit, here are some interesting things that have occurred: Tuesday (Sept. 24) brought Twin Day to the high school; Wednesday included Superhero Day as well as a landslide win by the senior boys in Powderpuff (boys) volleyball and a monumental victory by the senior girls in Powderpuff football (editor’s note: these were bold predictions on Zack’s part). Following the Powderpuff games was a rowdy celebratory truck rally starting at the Carbondale Middle School (editor’s note: another prediction, although the Sopris Sun was fairly confident as of press time that this event took place).

“The boys soccer team will be playing Basalt at home 6 p.m. on Sept. 26. Attendance by everyone in the town is mandatory. An immense bonfire of school spirit will be held afterwards, of which attendance is only mandatory for Roaring Fork students and nobody else. Friday will be Blue and Gold Day at the high school; much blue and gold will be seen. The Rams volleyball team will then play Eagle Valley at home at 4 p.m. That game will be immediately followed by the Rams football team playing Paonia at home at 7 p.m. The game will be kicked off with a special performance by the Roaring Fork Band and Choir; homecoming royalty will be announced at halftime during the football game.

“Roaring Fork will have several floats in the Potato Day parade, including one from each class, and a marching performance by the band. Saturday night will conclude Homecoming Week with the infamous Homecoming Dance. Go forth and ram.”

Other non-homecoming highlights include:

Parade entry forms are available at the chamber of commerce and town hall;

KDNK’s annual Potato Day record sale at Sopris Park takes place form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and highly-placed station staffers predict it will be “our biggest sale ever.”