Mark your calendars
Alliston Potato Festival
August 11, 12, 13 2023!
The Alliston Potato Festival is a volunteer organization that holds a festival in advance of the fall potato harvest to celebrate our community’s Agricultural Roots that date to 1972. The focus is on showcasing our community, supporting the community’s needs, and the amazing organizations that help make Alliston such a great place to live.
When David Willis planted the seed of having a Potato Festival in the community in 1972, it was supported by the Alliston Rotary Club and the proposal went before the Alliston Recreation Committee of the Town Council as a way for all organizations to work together. From that meeting, the Festival sprouted and has continued to grow ever since.
In the first festival, all the action took place on Victoria Street, a list of desired activities was established, and groups organized activities according to their areas of expertise.
OVER THE YEARS, THE FESTIVAL HAS GROWN AND IT IS NOW A 3-DAY EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE ON CHURCH STREET FAIRGROUNDS AND ELSEWHERE IN ALLISTON
In addition to the 3 day event, on the Saturday of the Festival, The ABIA organizes street fair along Victoria Street that draws folks from all over Ontario.
WE ARE KNOWN FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARADES THAT KICK OFF A FESTIVAL, GAINING RECOGNITION BY CBC WHICH CAME AND FILMED IT ONE YEAR.
The parade hosts as many as 40 to 50 entries that stroll down Victoria Street with their decorated floats celebrating the agricultural roots of our community while 1000s of people line up and down the parade route to celebrate one of the most enjoyed weekends of the year.
Following the parade people then make their way down to the festival grounds on Church Street to enjoy an evening of fun and reminiscing.
The festival grounds host a variety of activities that include something for the whole family, from live entertainment, showcasing local talent, a beer garden, vendors, food booths and a midway from Friday night right thru to Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday the ABIA hosts a downtown salute to our Rurban cultural filling it with vendors, classic car show and entertainment to keep the downtown bustle of activity for the whole day.
The Alliston Potato Festival has become a tradition in our community
Some of the features have changed, from Fire Fighter famous Friday night dance to Monte Carlo night to the Poker Tournament; demolition derbies to mud bogs to motorcycle stunts shows; to family focus events such as the baby show, Junior and Senior Ambassador Competitions, to a local showcase of talent, to potato peeling competitions all with the underlining message of bringing our community together and celebrate our agricultural roots and the strength of the potato.
In 2023 the Alliston Potato Festival will return with your favorite features and we are already planning some new and exciting activities to make our 48th even better than the 47th.