If you’ve lived in this area very long, you have heard of Shelley’s Spud Day: A weeklong event celebrating the potato harvest. It’s a time to gather with friends and family, or for many Shelley and Firth residents, to come home.
“There are a lot of traditions that are fun and keep the community close knit. There are many people who come home for Spud Day,” says LaRee Hammer.
Gary and LaRee Hammer have been going to Spud Day as long as they can remember. They both grew up in Shelley and raised their eight kids in Shelley. Each September, most of the Hammer kids, now with families of their own, return home to Shelley to celebrate.
Spud Day used to be in October, after the potato harvest was nearly over, but because of the cold weather, they moved it to the third Saturday in September.
Although some Spud Day traditions have changed over the years, the overall atmosphere has stayed the same. Gary and LaRee remember boxing matches in the evening, dances in the street, tractor pulls, football games in the park, a carnival, even a potato-picking contest on Main Street. They also had a contest where 100 lb burlap sacks filled with potatoes would be lining Main Street. Teams of three boys would throw them into the truck. One would drive, one would ‘buck’ the sack up into the truck bed and the other would stack the sacks.
Of course there is the Miss Russet Pageant, which stopped during WWI, but has continued since.
One of LaRee’s favorite memories was when the local grocery store would have pomegranates in stock for Spud Day. “It was a special treat,” says LaRee.
“We were always so excited for spud day, you would get up as quick as you could to see your friends and do all of the activities,” says LaRie.
Another favorite tradition is the free baked potatoes. Local farmers and farming companies donate 7,000 potatoes, which are then cooked by the Shelley and Firth school districts. The United Dairyman of Idaho also donates milk, butter, sour cream and cheese.
The famous tug-o-war always brings in a crowd. A team is formed with a maximum of 1,000 lbs. The loser ends up in a pit of mashed potatoes, which is brought in by a cement truck.
The parade has always been a big part of Spud Day. The high schools march in the parade, as well as children. Gary and LaRee remember when one of their daughters, Jan won first place for her costume. She dressed up her pet rabbit like a baby and pushed it in a buggy.
Spud Day is more than a time to celebrate and have fun, it is a time to honor the traditions of those who settled to community and sacrificed for their families.
Shelley used to ship more potatoes than any other place in the nation. There used to be about five potato warehouses along the east side of the railroad tracks, called Spud Alley. It was where the bags of potatoes would be loaded from the warehouses onto the train. The warehouses are not used anymore and some of them have been torn down.
“Some may think it’s interesting that a little community like this would honor the lowly potato, but it’s been the life blood of our community,” says LaRee.