Big Idaho Potato Truck Hits the Road

The Big Idaho Potato Truck will once again hit the road this year, traveling across the country promoting Idaho’s most famous agricultural product, the Idaho potato. During its journey, the Big Idaho Potato Truck will help dozens of charities better serve their communities through its charitable program, “A Big Helping.”

“The Big Idaho Potato Truck has become the cornerstone of the Idaho Potato Commission’s marketing program,” says Frank Muir, president and CEO of Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “By promoting the Truck in our national advertising campaign, participating in events with hundreds of thousands of attendees, and making stops at key retail and foodservice operations, we’ve been able to engage millions of consumers of all ages across the country.”

During its seven-month tour, the Truck will travel approximately 28,000 miles and be heralded as the main attraction in several parades and festivals across the country including Thunder Over Louisville, Ky.; the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.; Rose Festival Starlight Celebration in Portland, Ore.; and the Sea Fair Festival in Seattle.

In November, the Truck will be part of the entourage of vehicles transporting the 60-foot Capitol Christmas Tree from Payette National Forest in Idaho to Washington, D.C. The Big Idaho Potato Truck will deliver hundreds of ornaments made by Idaho schoolchildren and participate in local events scheduled to take place along the cross-country journey.

There are numerous ways for fans to follow the 2016 Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour and plenty of opportunities to see it in person. BigIdahoPotato.com is the Truck’s official website that has a calendar listing all the Truck’s stops and potatotracker.com provides a live feed of the oversized spud, allowing visitors to see where it is any time of day.

The Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour has always had a charitable component to it, and now in its second year, “A Big Helping” is the Truck’s “personal” way of assisting local charities across the country. During its seven-month tour, the Truck’s management team will identify local charities to receive a $500 donation via a Signature Board that’s set up at the events the Truck visits. Past recipients have included food banks, children’s hospitals and animal shelters.

“We already know that the Truck brings smiles to people wherever it goes but now it’s also helping people and that feels pretty good,” adds Muir.