If times are tough and your wallet could use a break, there’s a free event happening next month near Vancouver that could save you tonnes of money on produce.
We told you about Ugly Potato Day by Odd Bunch last fall, which offered 250,000 pounds of produce.
This year, they’re hoping to double that number, with plans to offer 500,000 pounds of free produce, equivalent to 250 tonnes. Odd Bunch, the organizers behind Ugly Potato Day, have a mission to break a Guinness World Record, previously held by a Sacramento organization in 2016, which offered just under 495,000 pounds of produce.
Ugly Potato Day by Odd Bunch takes place on Aug. 9, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Grounds, and we have all the essential details.
If you’ve never heard of the event, it’s essentially the celebration of ugly produce. A lot of the produce you’ll find may not look like the most aesthetically perfect vegetable or fruit.
Last year, approximately a dozen farms participated in Ugly Potato Day. This year, there are over 20 expected, including the additions of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and Otter Co-op.
“Admission is free and guests are invited to bring their own bags to fill with farm-fresh produce. Guests are also invited to listen to a DJ, snack at the food trucks and to enjoy family-friendly activities,” a media release says.
It’s important to note that no wagons or carts are allowed.
It remains to be seen whether the event breaks the Guinness World Record once the final count is complete.
According to farmer Potato Ty, one of the farmers behind the event, this edition of Ugly Potato Day has been months in the making.
“This isn’t just a food giveaway, it’s a movement,” said Tyler Heppell, fifth-generation farmer of Heppells Farms and founder of Ugly Potato Day, in a statement.
“We’re uniting farms, families, and food lovers to fight waste, feed people, and to change how we value our food. Understanding the increased financial pressures our communities are facing, we are aiming for our biggest Ugly Potato Day yet.”
To get to the free produce from Vancouver, it’s around a 50-minute drive to the Cloverdale Rodeo grounds.
Will you be heading out to Cloverdale for next month’s Ugly Potato Day by Odd Bunch?
Get your free tickets here.