Whether you like your potatoes mashed, baked, french-fried, hash-browned or even hasselbacked, celebrate the versatile starchy vegetable Aug. 19 on National Potato Day.
While National French Fries Day was July 11 and National Mashed Potato Day is a month away on Oct. 18, a variety of restaurants, including Burger King and KFC, are still celebrating the spud on Tuesday.
Potatoes go all the way back to around 8000 BC, according to Montana State University. The Incas of Peru were the first to cultivate them, and in 1526, Spanish Conquistadors brought the root vegetable to Europe. About 50 years later, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland. And while the first permanent potato patches in the U.S. were created in 1719 in New Hampshire, they didn’t arrive in Idaho until 1836.
While the origins of National Potato Day are unclear, it has been celebrated since at least 2006, according to National Day Calendar.
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Arby’s
Arby’s has the meats, but it also has a month-long Potato Pass promotion for rewards members. This pass gives a free medium fry (curly or crinkle fries) or a free three-piece order of potato cakes every day through Aug. 31 with any online or in-app purchase of $5 or more.
Burger King
Burger King Royal Perks members can celebrate National Potato Day with free fries of any size with a purchase of $3 or more on Aug. 19, according to a representative.
Hot Potato Pie
Those who live in or near Carson City, Nev., can enjoy a free classic baked potato with butter, no purchase necessary, on Aug. 19 at Hot Potato Pie. The restaurant specializes in all types of baked potatoes stuffed with all sorts of dishes, including birria, buffalo chicken or mac and cheese.
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KFC
The Colonel is bringing back its potato wedges Monday, Aug. 18, while supplies last, according to a representative for the restaurant chain. Potato wedges can be ordered on their own or substituted for any side.
The fried chicken chain will also be celebrating National Hot & Spicy Day, which is also Tuesday, by bringing back its hot & spicy wings. Beginning Monday, KFC will offer a $20 Wings & Wedges Fan Favorite Box, which includes potato wedges, 10 hot & spicy wings, 12 KFC chicken nuggets, four biscuits and four dipping sauces.
Note: Chick-fil-A will not be offering any national deals for this year’s National Potato Day, according to a representative. Select locations have celebrated the holiday in previous years.
