Heritage of the fabulous Posen Potato Festival

The Posen Potato Festival is a grand celebration of both the humble potato and a wonderful heritage. Posen, Michigan, on M-65 northwest of Alpena and southeast of Rogers City, is in the heart of the farm country of eastern Presque Isle County. Founded in 1870, Posen is one of the oldest continuous Polish American communities in the United States. The Posen Potato Festival, a lively tradition since 1952, will unfold Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8, 9 and 10. The appeal of the Posen Potato Festival is tremendous. Posen is a village of only 300 people with a festival attracting an amazing total of about 30,000 people.

It is thanks to dedicated volunteers of the community that the Posen Potato Festival is such an outstanding event each year. It is the largest festival in all of northeast Michigan throughout the year, and naturally it has the largest and most delightful parade. Posen today has a strong identity in four ways — a square-mile village, the 36-square-mile township in which the village is located, and and even larger area defined by the post office district and the school district. Posen began in 1870 with the arrival of lumbermen from Poland clearing the northern woods of Michigan, particularly for pine. Many of those lumbermen stayed, becoming farmers and settling the area with their wives and children. In the challenging climate of Presque Isle County, which along with Alpena is north of the 45th Parallel, the potato was the crop that more than any other sustained these pioneer farm families. Potatoes were part of every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and rightly so, as a strongly nutritional food.

Since 1870, Posen has had a distinct Polish American identity . . . with Poland as the main ethnic heritage of the people . . . and with the United States of America as the great democracy they cherish. Complete schedules of all events of this, the 55th annual Posen Potato Festival, are available in Posen, Rogers City, and other communities of Presque Isle County. The sponsoring Posen Chamber of Commerce may be reached at (989) 766-8128.

Here are some of the events of the 2006 Posen Potato Festival: * The Children’s Parade takes place at noon Saturday.

* The polka dances are held in the Polka Pavilion, with paid admission, on Friday and Saturday nights.

* The free polka dances are in the Polka Pavilion during the day on Saturday and throughout the day and evening on Sunday.

* The fabulous meals in Posen. There is plenty to choose from. The opportunities to feast in Posen include the VFW Dinner from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and the VFW Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. From 7 a.m. to noon Saturday is the K of C Breakfast in the Green Pavilion. There is also the Festival Dinner in the St. Casimir School Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. With Posen

famous for its potato pancakes, the Potato Pancake Smorgasbord will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Community Center.

* Public viewing of potato displays will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon Sunday in the Community Center.

* The restored Elowsky Grist Mill will be available for visits on Saturday and Sunday.

* The Polish Folk Music Mass at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at St. Casimir Catholic Church. This Mass, featuring the Pan Franek and Zosia polka band, is so popular that it is best to arrive in church by 10:15 a.m. so as to find a seat reasonably close to the altar and the music.

* The Grand Festival Parade is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Main Street, M-65.

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