O'LEARY, P.E.I. — The Canadian Potato Museum’s giant potato has grown a second skin.
For the duration of the 51st annual P.E.I. Potato Blossom Festival the museum's giant potato statue will wear a Frosty the Snowman costume.
His transformation is the Potato Museum staff’s contribution to the festival’s theme, Christmas in July. The museum is the host venue for the festival’s official opening ceremonies July 15 at 7 p.m.
The festival runs until July 21 and festival chair Faye MacWilliams has declared her committee ready to go.
“He’s cute, eh?” MacWilliams said, looking at the museum’s tuber mascot. She invites O’Leary and area residents and business people to dress up their properties to reflect the festival’s theme.
Highlights of the 2019 P.E.I. Potato Blossom Festival will include Tuesday’s Little Miss Potato Blossom pageant, Wednesday’s P.E.I. Mutual Youth Talent competition and Thursday’s Miss P.E.I. Potato Blossom Pageant which has five recent high school graduates as contestants. There will be a potato cook-off competition Friday, followed immediately by the farmers awards banquet, and a full slate of activities on Saturday and Sunday.
The Memorial Spud Run starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. There are a bicycle, tricycle and doll carriage parade, pancake breakfast, Farmers Market and Dewar Memorial Children’s Orchard ceremony.
The Canadian Potato Peeling championship is scheduled for Saturday morning with the Christmas in July parade at 1 p.m.
An O’Leary Fire Department kids fun day follows as does the West Prince Horsemen Club’s matinee harness racing program. The Maple Leaf Curling Club will host a lobster and ham supper Saturday afternoon. The seventh annual Summerside Chrysler Dodge adult singing competition is lined up for 7 p.m. at the sports centre. The festival dance at the legion starts at 9:30 p.m.
The P.E.I. washer toss championship takes over Ellsworth Field Sunday afternoon and the festival’s car show gets underway in Centennial Park at 1 p.m. There will be a gospel concert at the United Church Centre Sunday evening leading up to the festival’s fireworks finale.
