Sun shines over weekend of fun activities at Potato Festival
Food, dancing and good fellowship highlighted the 53rd annual Posen Potato Festival. Three days and nights of special meals, parades and activities ended Sunday under gorgeous sunny skies in the Potato Capital. Posen Chamber of Commerce president Randy Idaski said everything went very well at the festival. Attendance was about where it was last year. “I haven’t looked at everything yet, but as I walked from building to building and the carnival area, everything was about the same. You couldn’t ask for better weather,” said Idaski.
Queen Dorothy Romel, daughter of Leo and Denyse Romel, and grand parade marshals Leonard and Margaret Wozniak reigned over the annual community festival. A walk through any of the packed parking lots or along both sides of long lines of cars parked along inbound roads revealed that festival-goers came from all parts of Michigan and beyond for the Potato Festival.
“I THINK IT went really well,” said Laurie Wozniak, one of the organizers of the annual arts and crafts show. She said attendance appears to have matched last year’s figures. “It didn’t seem any different,” Wozniak said. She also added that they’d probably keep the art show as a one-day event. “It seems like it’s hard to get workers to do it for two days, so we’re still sticking with the one,” she said. Some of the proceeds from this year’s show will be donated to the PHS track team. Members of the track team approached the committee, because the Posen Consolidated Schools Board of Education cut the program, and funds are needed to keep it going. The number of entries in the demolition derby were up, while the bump and run was about the same, according to Idalski.
ANDREA KONWINSKI, chairman of the grand parade, said 100 entries participated in the 90-minute event. Awards were given in many categories. Winning the most beautiful was Posen’s queen’s court, with honorable mention going to the Red Hat Society. Best musical float was the Nowak family, while the honorable mention award went to the Sault Ste. Marie pipe band. Most original winner was a semi truck with a religious theme, with a “barrel train” earning honorable mention; most patriotic theme winner was military jeeps with Knights of Columbus of Alpena earning honorable mention. The most humorous entry was the Kiddie Parade winner (kids wit
THE JUDGES Choice Award went to the Presque Isle Electric truck with Hospice of Michigan earning honorable mention. Best entry by a service organization went to K of C/Posen Council with the train bus earning honorable mention. In the United We Stand category “Remember Our Heroes” was the winner with “United We Stand” earning honorable mention. The winner of the most appropriate theme (Polish heritage or Posen potatoes) went to Val-U-Variety with a tractor earning honorable mention.
“IN OCTOBER we’ll sit down and discuss what happened here at this festival,” Idalski said. “We’ll discuss what the good points were and what were the bad points.” Two polka bands have already signed contracts for next year including Pan Franek and Zosia. Idalski said it wouldn’t be an official close to the festival without Pan Franek on the stage Sunday night. “Rogers City (Nautical Festival) has their closing with fireworks,” said Idalski, “and we have our closing with Pan Franek.” It also was a smooth weekend for the law enforcement community, he said.