Agricultural tours announced for the 2019 San Luis Valley Potato Festival

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By Jessica Crowther

Special to The PREVIEW

It’s that time of year again. The 2019 Potato Festival will be Sept. 7 at Chapman Park in Monte Vista. As the date is fast approaching, we want to be sure you’re prepared to enjoy the day with us.

There is another exciting opportunity available at the Potato Festival to those who want an in-depth look at the potato industry. The annual agriculture tour will be departing from Chapman Park by bus in Monte Vista at 8 a.m. and returning at 11 a.m. Hosted by the executive director of Colorado Potatoes, Jim Ehrlich, this tour will visit the San Luis Valley Research Center and a local grower’s field. Passengers will get to talk directly with growers and researchers, and get to see firsthand how potatoes are grown in the San Luis Valley. This tour is free of charge, but spots are limited. Those interested should contact Colorado Potatoes at (719) 852-3322 or info@coloradopotato.org to reserve a space.

After the tour, passengers can stay for the 2019 San Luis Valley Potato Festival at Chapman Park in Monte Vista and all the other fun activities it has to offer. All day at Chapman Park, there will be a 5K race, kid’s games, the famous mashed potato dunk tank, professional chef demo, bouncy houses and a trampoline quad jumper. There will also be food and craft vendors, games for the family, live animals, an antique tractor display with homemade ice cream, a truck and semi show and much, much more.

That evening, as an added feature, there will be a motorsport aerial freestyle show featuring X-Games medalists. This will be at the Ski-Hi Park Arena and tickets can be purchased at potatofest.eventbrite.com.