4-ton potato trucking to Spa City parade

HOT SPRINGS — A tremendous tuber traveling by tractor-trailer will somehow make its way onto the 98-foot stretch of Bridge Street on March 17, adding to the absurdity of the First Ever 16th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, according to Visit Hot Springs.

The 4-ton Big Idaho Potato and its accompanying truck and trailer — at a combined 72 feet long — will almost fill the length of Bridge Street, Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said Friday in a news release.

“The potato is woven deep into the heritage of Ireland and the millions of Irish Americans whose ancestors fled the Great Potato Famine of 1845-1852,” Arrison said in the release. “That catastrophe left a million Irish people dead and saw a million more immigrate to the United States and other parts of North America.

“While the Big Idaho Potato will bring still more zany fun to our World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, it will also serve as a reminder of why so many Americans trace their ancestry and cultural heritage back to Ireland.”

The spectacular spud, sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, has traveled the country annually since 2012, making nearly 70 appearances at events across America.

A news release from the commission says the most frequently asked question remains, “Is it real?”

“We’ll never tell … but if it is,” the commission says the spud is the equivalent of 21,562 Idaho potatoes and would take 7,000 years to grow. A spud this size would take two years to bake and would make 20,217 servings of mashed potatoes or 970,380 french fries. It is 802 times heavier than the largest potato ever grown, which tipped the scales at 11 pounds.

Arrison said in the release this potato annually makes appearances in events such as the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., festivities surrounding the Kentucky Derby, and NASCAR Poconos Raceway, “so we are really pleased that they have added Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, to the tour for 2019.”

“Along with the great new events we’ve added for 2019, the First Ever 16th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be the most spectacular one we’ve ever seen,” he said.

According to the release, the Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour has always had a charitable component to it, “A Big Helping.” During its tour, the truck’s management team will identify local charities to receive a $500 donation through a Signature Board that’s set up at the events the truck visits. Past recipients have included food banks, children’s hospitals and animal shelters, the release said.

The larger-than-life spud will add to what is shaping up to be a three-day parade weekend starting with the First Ever First Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Zero K footrace at 6 p.m. on March 15.

The race will cover 299 feet from Bridge Street to O’Kelley’s World’s Largest Inflatable Pop Up Pub. It is presented by Michelob Ultra and Arkansas Beverage Sales of Hot Springs with all proceeds benefiting Tri-Lakes CASA, the organization of court-appointed special advocates for foster children that serves Garland, Hot Spring and Grant counties.

An entry fee of $20 gets participants a Zero K T-shirt, finisher’s medal and race bib.

Online registration is available at https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/HotSprings/StPatricksDayZeroK.

“Since St. Patrick’s Day itself falls on a Sunday in 2019, we saw a great opportunity to add the Zero K to our previously announced lineup of great events,” Bill Solleder, marketing director for Visit Hot Springs, said in the release. “In addition to the internationally acclaimed parade itself on Sunday, March 17, we will have free live entertainment by Smash Mouth on Saturday night at the Bridge Street stage where Bridge Street, Malvern Avenue, Broadway and Convention Boulevard intersect. Plus, we’ll have another free live concert by Three Dog Night on Sunday after the parade.”