Ontario’s claim to fame as the birthplace of the Tater Tot will be celebrated this weekend at the fourth annual Tater Tots Festival.
The festivities run from 2 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Lions Park, 790 S.W. 3rd Ave.
The event is hosted by Revitalize Ontario and other sponsors.
New this year, organizers will unveil metal sculptures of the Tater Tots family, including mama and papa and little Tots.
Festival-goers also can ride a mechanical bull, try their skill at axe throwing, and enjoy a beer and wine garden on both days. There will be a playground for kids and a splash pad, weather permitting.
This year’s festivities will feature a cornhole tournament on Friday at 7 p.m. To register, visit protectyourtots.com.
Nearly a dozen musical acts, from country and bluegrass to rock and roll to Tex-Mex country, will perform. Chaz, an Ontario rock and roll band that has performed with Big Bopper and Richie Valens tribute groups, will be on stage Friday from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
The event also will have food trucks, and organizers have encouraged the cooks to modify their menus to include Tater Tot recipes so that there are plenty of variations of the potato morsels.
There will be a car show at the park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Custom-built classic cars and hot rods will be featured on the first day, and motorcycles on the second.
There will be trophies for the top three best-in-show and special awards for the top 20 “cool rides.”
The Tater Tot was invented in Ontario by brothers Nephi and Golden Grigg, who founded Ore-Ida in 1952. Tots have become an American icon, although many people don’t know it was invented in Ontario.
Laura Hiramatsu, treasurer of Revitalize Ontario, said the event celebrates the historical significance of the dish and its cultural impact.
For more information, go to tatertotsfestival.com.
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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