Photo courtesy of Potato Festival Ag tours are being offered during the annual Potato Festival on Sept. 11 in Monte Vista.

MONTE VISTA — It’s that time of year again. The 2021 Potato Festival will be Saturday, Sept. 11 at Chapman Park in Monte Vista.

There is another exciting opportunity available at the Potato Festival for people who want an in-depth look at the potato industry. The annual agriculture tour will be departing from Chapman Park by bus in Monte Vista at 8 a.m. and returning at 11 a.m.

Hosted by the Executive Director of Colorado Potatoes, Jim Ehrlich, this tour will visit the San Luis Valley Research Center and a local grower’s field. Passengers will get to talk directly with growers and researchers and get to see firsthand how potatoes are grown in the San Luis Valley.

This year we will have a second tour departing at 1 p.m. from Chapman Park; this tour will stop at a local grower’s field. Guided by a local grower, we’re excited to offer a second tour.

These tours are free of charge as well, but spots are limited. People who are interested should visit coloradopotato.org/potatofestival or contact Colorado Potatoes at 719-852-3322 or [email protected] to reserve a space.  

After the tour, passengers can stay for the 2021 San Luis Valley Potato Festival at Chapman Park, and all the other fun activities it has to offer. All day at Chapman Park there will be a 5K race, kid’s games, the famous mashed potato dunk tank, professional chef demo, bouncy houses, and a trampoline quad jumper.

There will also be food and craft vendors, games for the family, live animals, an antique tractor display with homemade ice cream, a truck and semi show and much, much more.

That evening, as an added feature, there will be a motorsport aerial freestyle show featuring X-Game medalists. This will be at the Ski-Hi Park Arena, and tickets can be purchased at potatofest.eventbrite.com.