The Alliston Potato Festival is just around the corner (Aug. 8 to 10) and each week from now until the festivities begin the Herald will bring you highlights.

The Potato Festival Parade kicks off Alliston’s 35th annual festival this year on Fri., Aug 10. The parade is certainly the main event on the minds of the 30,000 to 50,000 people who witness it each year.

As always, the Alliston Rotary Club is organizing the spectacular floats and dedicated groups of active businesses, organizations and others that make up the thriving community. But an added twist to the parade this year will be many floats celebrating the potato as a staple crop of the world in light of 2008 being the United Nations International Year of the Potato.

The parade has been a longtime favourite of families, who are really the reason for this being one of the largest small-town parades. It’s an occasion for groups of excited citizens of all ages to experience the thrilling sights and sounds.

The Alliston Potato Festival Parade starts at Banting Memorial High School at 7 p.m, proceeds west down Victoria Street, turns left at Ontario to Nelson Street and then travels east on Nelson and ends at the old arena on Nelson Street.

The deadline for parade registration is July 31. To register a float or find out more about the parade, please visit the Rotary Club website at www.rotary-alliston.org. Learn more about the Potato Festival by visiting www.potatofestival.com.

Potato fact of the week:

Potatoes are grown in more than 130 countries. Among them, Canada is the 12th largest potato producer.