Posen?s annual Potato Festival is set to start Friday

Posen?s 54th annual Potato Festival is set to start Friday Friday is the start of the 54th Posen Potato Festival and the residents of Posen have been preparing for the event for months. On Tuesday, a handful of workers were wrapping up work at the field event area. The announcer?s booth was extended eight feet and siding was being placed around the structure. The material came from the roof of the Polka Pavilion, which was damaged in the hail storm of 2004. The long sections of metal were saved and were being used to cover rotting board. Schmidt Amusement rides started arriving, as well as a handful of campers. A group from Tawas already had started the festival countdown. They were all were sitting in lawn chairs in front of a camper on Tuesday evening. The group has been coming to the festival for more than 20 years.

RESIDENTS WERE sprucing up their property and local organizations were conducting last-minute meetings to make sure everything is in place for this weekend?s three-day festival. Reigning over the festival will be Miss Posen Amanda Pieczynski, who was crowned August 12. Grand marshals for Sunday?s parade will be longtime area residents Michael and Sophie Andrzejewski. Joining the trek along Michigan Avenue will be Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who accepted the invitation of the Posen Chamber of Commerce this year.

All parade entries must be registered at the Posen baseball field. The parade starts promptly at 1:30 p.m. at the baseball field and ends at Oak Street. Anyone interested in entering a unit in the parade may call Andrea Konwinski at 766-8133. Schmidt Amusements open the Friday night activities at 6 p.m. and will remain open until 11 p.m. The weekend of polka music starts with Ampol Aires and The Brass Express at 7 p.m., and lasts until 1 a.m.

A GREAT ATTRACTION at the festival will be the 13th annual arts and crafts festival show on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. An admission fee of $1 is required. A bake sale and lunch will be available. New this year at the arts and crafts show, the arts and craft committee will be sponsoring the musical group ?Soul Purpose? from Shipshewana, Indiana.

All money collected will benefit Posen High School sports programs. There is an admission fee of $6. The kiddie parade will be Saturday at noon at the Community Center with registration to take place between 11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. The Knights of Columbus will have a potato pancake breakfast Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. The VFW Post 7804 and auxiliary will serve dinner Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Featured at the meal will be Polish food, homemade breads and much more. They also have a breakfast on Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The VFW-sponsored meals will be at the VFW Hall. A special meal is being planned by the Presque Isle County Council on Aging Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. and will run until 5:30 p.m. The traditional favorite, the potato pancake smorgasbord, will take place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center.

ONE OF THE main attractions continues to

be the entertainment. The music of Dash Riprock of Lansing will be heard Saturday in the green pavilion beginning at 8 p.m. Polka music is featured three nights and two days of the festival. Again this year, visitors and members can enjoy the Polish Polka Folk Mass at St. Casimir Catholic Church Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Pan Franek and Zosia will be providing the music. Several field events are planned. The eighth annual bump and run is Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., while the demolition derby starts Sunday at 3 p.m. The number of participants are expected to up this year because Alpena didn?t have a derby this year.

In addition, numerous street merchants and free attractions are scattered throughout the festival. Those include a midway, central vendor area, and a flea market. There also will be tours of the Elowsky Grist Mill with buses picking up people in Posen at various times.