Friday, April 25, 2014

April 2014: Celebrating All Things Potato at the N.C. Potato Festival




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact:
Elizabeth Evans
Cahoon & Cross
Phone: (757) 705-7153
 




Celebrating All Things Potato at the N.C. Potato Festival,
May 16-18 in Elizabeth City, N.C. 

(Elizabeth City, N.C., April 23, 2014) – Extra festival days, an expanded midway, more great music and plenty of spuds! The N.C. Potato Festival, May 16-18 along Elizabeth City’s downtown waterfront, is bursting at the seams with a family-friendly event that will please both your taste buds and your desire to have a good time. 

 What began as a simple tribute to the farmers that tend the state’s major potato-growing areas along the Albemarle Sound has grown to attract more than 27,000 celebrants annually for a weekend full of festivities. This year, festival organizers even added an extra day to the schedule to better accommodate all the activities—and the visitors.  
           
“Our slogan, ‘Come and Stay All Day,’ is truer than ever this year,” said Cindy Williams, a festival volunteer. “Arrive on Friday for the kick-off party, and then spend Saturday and Sunday enjoying the food, live music, arts and crafts, potato competitions and our new and improved midway with State Fair-quality mechanical rides!”
             
After festival-goers have whipped and twirled on the Typhoon, Super Shot and Orient Express (plus more!), they can take in live music, performed on three festival stages. Local entertainment is a hallmark of the festival, and homegrown bands Out ‘n the Cold, Million Watt Sons and 40 East are scheduled to perform, in addition to national recording artists Nantucket, Team Collective, Skinny Bag of Sugar, plus The Fort Eustis TRADOC Band.
           
And don’t forget the ‘taters. In addition to nibbling on home-cooked fries, festival-goers can sample the results of the "Anything But Fries" restaurant cook-off, watch the National Potato Peeling Contest competitors peel through bushels of spuds, cheer on the "Little Miss Tater Tot Pageant" contestants and shop and dine among arts/crafts and food vendors lining the Main Street thoroughfare. Visitors can also see antique and modern-day potato diggers and farm equipment in the festival’s featured tractor show.  

Mark your calendars and bring your appetite! It will soon be all things potato—all weekend long in Elizabeth City. The kick-off party is May 16 from 5 to 11 p.m., and festival runs May 17 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and May 18 from 12 to 5 p.m. Perry Auto Group, Alliance Nissan, Biggs and McDonald’s are premier sponsors of the event. For more information and a complete lineup of live entertainment check the festival’s Facebook page or visit www.ncpotatofestival.com.

About Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City is located in Northeastern North Carolina on the Intracoastal Waterway, halfway between Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks. Known as the “Harbor of Hospitality,” the city has six National Register Historic Districts and is home to the Museum of the Albemarle, The Center at Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City State University Planetarium, Port Discover Hands-on Science Center and one of the largest U.S. Coast Guard air stations in the Continental United States. Nature-based travelers are drawn to the area’s proximity to Dismal Swamp and the abundance of outdoor recreational offerings. For additional information, call Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U (1-866-324-8948) or visit DiscoverElizabethCity.com. For up-to-the-minute info on happenings and events visit ElizabethCityHASIt.com.

Sidebar:  Potatoes Are Good For You!
Did you know that …
·                     The average American eats 142 pounds of potatoes a year, or almost 365 potatoes per person? That’s an average of a potato a day!
·                     Contrary to the common misconception, potatoes are not high in calories? One medium sized potato contains 110 calories, while a one-cup serving of rice has 225 calories and a cup of pasta has 155.
·                     One serving of potatoes provides 45 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C? It’s also an excellent source of potassium, with one potato providing 610 mg.
·                     Potatoes should be eaten with their peels on? A wealth of vitamins, minerals and fiber are found in the peel. The peel also contains the flavonoid, quercitin, and chlorogenic acid – antioxidants that may protect the body against certain types of cancers and heart disease.

For additional information, visit www.ncpotatoes.org

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