Barnesville Potato Days traces its roots to celebrations beginning in 1931 and uses the local potato crop as the theme for a broad community festival. The modern event still keeps hands-on links to agricultural history, particularly through the potato picking contest that recreates an activity once central to the area’s harvest season.
Festival programming includes potato foods, mashed-potato eating, the potato picking contest, vendors, family activities, races and other changing competitions. Booths line Front Street, while the main stage, seating and food court gather near Front Street and 2nd Avenue Southeast. The latest festival took place in August 2026. Current materials do not publish a single general spectator admission price.