OUTLOOK — Everyone is invited to celebrate spuds at the inaugural Potato Festival, Saturday, Aug. 23 in Outlook.
The event was first launched in 2019 by a few community champions led by Donna Smith, but the pandemic put subsequent festivals on hold. Members of Team Outlook have been hoping to bring it back, and now the return is just days away.
The town had been looking for an event to sponsor fireworks that were delayed due to dry weather before Canada Day. The Outlook and District Heritage Museum already had plans to host a High Tea on Aug. 23, and things started coming together to reboot the festival. Northern Konstar Potatoes Ltd. signed on as the Little Star Gold Sponsor, making them the title sponsor. Others joined in, including Prairie Mechanics Corp. and PGS Equipment/Prairie Side Farm Centre as silver sponsors, and Western Water Management, Little Potato Company and Tuberosum Technologies as bronze sponsors. The town invites more to consider sponsoring what promises to be a fun and informative day.
High Tea at the Bounty Theatre kicks off the festival. This is a free come-and-go event. Wear your favourite vintage clothing (hats will be provided). Come, bid on a pie, enjoy the entertainment and soak up the atmosphere.
Events then shift to the Co-op Community Rink with a mini trade show presented by sponsors highlighting potatoes, along with a Lil Spuds Zone and activities for children, presented by the Outlook-Rudy Fireflies. A special “Spudtastic” magic show will entertain all ages. Visitors can also watch for the potato mascot making an appearance.
Bring your appetites — potato-themed treats will be plentiful, including specialty French fries, poutine, Afghan bolani, loaded baked potatoes, burgers on potato buns, perogies, oven-roasted potatoes, and even the Norwegian favourite, lefse.
Local singers, musicians and dancers, including Syhra Ellis, Kevin Harcourt and Mucho Flow Latino, will perform before the 2025 Fireworks Extravaganza at 9 p.m., sponsored by the town.
Promotion of the Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan brand is a goal for the Town of Outlook, and this festival fits right in. CAO Kevin Trew said stakeholders including Irrigation Saskatchewan and both levels of government through Sask Ag and Food and the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre have made significant investments in the community. “This is something unique to this community,” he explained, “and the words we use, the things that most people living here know to be true about growing crops, about irrigation and the importance of irrigation … we need to spread that message.”
Prince Edward Island grows about 25 per cent of Canada’s potatoes, making it the country’s largest producer. Saskatchewan contributes only about 1.4 per cent of the supply, but Outlook is taking its place among industry players to become the province’s leading potato producer. Trew said, “We know that people can see the growth in the rural area with the addition of more than one large business that is involved with potatoes.”
The Potato Festival is for the whole family. There is no admission cost, but vendors will be on hand selling food, water and soft drinks.
While PEI may lead the potato industry, Outlook is ready to showcase its role in the sector and celebrate it. The town and sponsors are proud to bring this inaugural festival to the community, knowing it’s only the beginning. “The Great Potato is synonymous with PEI,” Trew remarked, “but we are going to make it synonymous with Outlook, Saskatchewan, in a good way. The potato and Outlook, irrigation and Outlook, all these are things to be celebrated. The vision with the potato festival over time is that it grows even bigger every year. We know that it will. We are starting small, dreaming big and acting now.”
