(Editor’s Note: The following information was adopted from the History of Big Lake book).

The justly popular Big Lake Spud fest came about after a lot of work for a lot of people in 1972 and 1973. It presented its first “Festival” — a three-day event — on June 29, 30 and July 1 of 1973.

Star News Report (1973)

A write-up in the June 28, 1973 Sherburne County Star News advised the world that:

Big Lake All Set For First Spud Festival This week

Everything is set up for the first annual Spud Festival Days to be held on the grounds of the new Citizens State Bank on the east side of Big Lake.

O’Neil United Shows will set up for business on Thurs., June 28. This consists of about 14 rides and about 25 concessions. A beer garden and hot dog stand will be manned by members of the Big Lake community. Also included is a softball tournament consisting of 16 teams on the grounds of the Big Lake Elementary School on Saturday and Sunday.

The Spud Festival will run three days, Friday, June 29, Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1, 1973.

Bob McDowell, president of the Big Lake Civic and Commercial Club, is heading up the committee which is making arrangements. Over three tons of potatoes — in 20 pound sacks — will be given away and a number of cash prizes and merchandise will be furnished by the businessmen of Big Lake.

This is a community-wide project and all Big Lakers who are able and have the time are urged to help in the big event. Contact either Roger Baldwin or Lyall Stearns as lots of help is needed, mainly to man the hot dog stand and ticket booths.

Any profit derived from the Spud Festival Days will be placed in a special fund at the bank to take care of athletic events, promotions, Santa Claus Day and in equipment needed by many Little League baseball teams, the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and other things which will benefit the community. A number of local organizations are helping out and a committee will be appointed to help buy the equipment.

Mr. Lyall Stearns is the acting treasurer and all bills, donations and anything connected with money should be turned in to him.

The carnival is scheduled to open Friday, June 29 at 1 p.m. and run each day from around 1 p.m. to midnight.

Over three tons of potatoes have been donated to the Spud Festival Days from potato farmers in the area. Coupons will be issued for 20 pound sacks to be picked up at the different farms after the 1973 harvest.

Drawings will take place quite often in the afternoon of Friday, Saturday and Sunday as this represents over 300, 20-pound sacks. There are no strings attached, just register for the different prizes.

The potato donations have been made by Howard Bohanon, Russ Howe, DeChene Corporation, Earl Hiller, Derald Ewing, Jim Ewing, Les Zimmerman, Art Peterson, Del Hayes, Sandford Farms and Larry Irwin.

Star News Report (1989)

A notice of the 17th annual Spud Fest in 1989 also appeared in the Sherburne County Star News on June 21, 1989.

Big Lake Invites All To 17th Annual Spud Fest

Neighboring Big Lake will have its annual Spud Fest Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The festival is built around the potato theme, because farms in the Big Lake area raise so many potatoes. Spud Fest parade, featuring five high school bands, will start at 10 a.,m. Saturday.

Following the parade there will be a potato country cook-off contest for those who have special potato recipes. For information, contact Dee Leslie at 263-2911 days.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, there will be spud wrestling.

Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a potato pancake breakfast will be served.

Other events include a carnival all three days, a fireman’s water fight Friday at 6:30 p.m., Tator Tot road races at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as a softball tournament. A wheel chair square dance is noon Sunday and a fiddler’s contest is at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Citizen Submission

Lyle Smith submitted an article on the fiddler’s contest as follows:

The first fiddler’s contest was held at the Spud Fest in June of 1981. The one in 1997 marked the 17th successive contest.

Ron Bolin and Lyle Smith were the co-chairmen of the first contest which was sponsored by the Big Lake Lions and Lioness Clubs.

In the first two contests, judged from the Red River Fiddler’s Association were used. Complaints from local fiddlers that the judges favored their own association’s entrants prompted the switch to local judges. Since then, no complaints have been registered.

The last five years the contest has been divided into five age classes. Class A is for under 12, B is for those under 16, C for those 16 to 30, D is for 30 to 70 and E is for those over 70. Each class is awarded first, second and third place trophies. Each contestant is traditionally awarded a sack of potatoes and a small lunch. Each contestant must play two numbers and no trick fiddling is permitted. All the potatoes awarded are donated by local growers.

The contestants can register up to 30 minutes before the contest or by mail. There are usually 15 to 18 entrants and the crowd’s enthusiasm indicates continued popularity for the event.

The Spud Fest has kept up the pace and has grown larger in events and in the number of softball teams competing for the championship. The first softball tournament had 16 entrants and in 1996, there were 40 teams vying for the cup.