Dec 27, 2018Idaho Potato Drop to celebrate fifth anniversary New Year’s Eve
Times Square, you have a growing Idahoan rival.
OK, the New Year’s Eve Idaho Potato Drop in Boise likely will never overtake New York City’s ball drop in terms of notoriety, but it is about to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
The brainchild of fourth-generation Idahoan Dylan Cline, the Potato Drop has grown each year since its simple inception in 2013, reported the Idaho Statesman.
“I thought gosh, I’ve never left my house for New Year’s Eve because all that was available (in Boise) was drinking at bars, so I decided to have a big party, build a huge potato, and drop it from the crane Downtown,” Cline told the Statesman.
Cline sought the assistance of the Idaho Potato Commission and Boise television station KTVB in planning the event. He also had to get it approved by the city.
The first year, a giant replica potato was lowered from a crane near a construction site in Boise. Since then, the potato has evolved to include internal lights and the festival now features food, a beer garden, live music, activities and fireworks. It’s practically an all-day event, with festivities starting at 3 p.m. Oh, and the drop itself now is in front of the State Capitol building.
