Seven area candidates vie for 55th queen title

The 55th annual Potato Day in Williams starts Friday, Oct. 10.
Friday night kicks off with a meat raffle at 6 p.m. and a chili cook off at 7 p.m. Both events take place at the Williams Municipal Liquor Store.
Saturday starts with the annual parade at 11:45 a.m. Parade entries need to line up at the Williams City Park 30 minutes prior to parade time. Entry categories are as follows: most beautiful, most appropriate, most humorous, best decorated bike or walker, old car or hot rod, and horses.
A pancake breakfast will be held at the Williams City Hall/Senior Center on Main Street in Williams from 8 a.m. to Noon.
The afternoon program will again be held at the Williams Arena, located on Pine Street.
Vendors and crafters will be available from Noon to 5 p.m. A variety of vendors will be on hand. Concessions and lunch will be available with pork sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, potato dishes, soup and more.
A potato cookery contest and potato head contest will be held in the afternoon. Bring your entries in between 12:30 and 1 p.m. to the arena for judging. Categories are as follows: appetizers; breads, rolls and pastries; candy; casseroles/main dishes; desserts (cakes, bars, cookies); salads/side dishes; and soups.
The Potato Head contest is a fun way for Kids to get involved! Grab a potato from Mom’s kitchen and decorate. Categories are: funniest; oddest; most patriotic; and prettiest. Cash prizes are awarded for the winners in the cookery and potato head contest. Call Jackie at 783-3271 for more information on categories.
A mashed potato eating-contest has been a recent favorite amongst the younger generation. The contest is timed, so whoever can eat the most mashed potatoes in one minute wins! Bring an empty belly.
Musical entertainment in the afternoon includes the Sloughgrass Band from Birchdale. A kiddie parade is at 2:45 p.m. Dress your youngster up in his or her favorite costume for the parade in the arena. Also part of the afternoon program is continuous door prize drawings throughout the afternoon for merchandise donated by area businesses.
Queen Coronation begins at 4 p.m. The winner and runner up will be awarded a scholarship prize and the honor of representing the community for one year. Williams has had a Potato Day Queen for 54 consecutive years, so this competition is a long-standing tradition. Seven young ladies from Warroad and Lake of the Woods schools have entered the competition this year. The candidates are as follows:
• Ashley Holmes, daughter of Lorraine and Martin Holmes of Warroad
• Valarie Calder, daughter of Chris and Nancy Calder of Warroad
• Cheyenne Keeler, daughter of Cole and Betty Keeler and Robert and Christine Dorry of Warroad
• Sherina Knutson, daughter of Steve and Joy Knutson of Baudette
• Katrina Baldwin, daughter of Mike and Debra Baldwin of Williams
• Rachel Krohn, daughter of Rod and Tracey Krohn of Williams
• Trudy Levasseur, daughter of Tom and Gretchen Levasseur of Baudette.
 A teen dance will be held at the arena from 7 to 11 p.m. Refreshments will be available. DJ music by Nathan Bourman. Remember to dress warm, as the arena can get cool after the sun goes down.
Activities at the Williams Liquor Store in the evening are a Jam Session in the Big Tent from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by a dance with Eagle Creek Band performing classic rock and country favorites.
A $100 cash prize button drawing will be held at 10 p.m. at the tent.
Free camping is available Friday and Saturday night at the Williams City Park. Electrical and sewer hookups are available.
For more information about Potato Day activities, contact April Stavig at 218-689-1882 or email astavig@wiktel.com, or call the Williams Liquor Store at 783-6195.
Potato Day 2008 is sponsored by the Williams Youth Recreation Association.