Giant Potato cooks up excitement for St. Patrick's Parade

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - You’ve seen a lot of big meals here on Good Day Atlanta — from Buck’s mouth-watering burgers to the giant platters of barbecue we’ve cooked up out on the weather deck. But nothing could have prepared you for what we put on television Friday morning — and no, you weren’t just seeing things when you looked up and caught a four-ton potato!

The “largest potato on wheels” — otherwise known as the Big Idaho Potato Truck — is rolling along with this year’s Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade, happening Saturday at noon in Midtown. The 28-foot-long truck is currently on its seventh cross-country tour, having first made the trek in 2012 in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission.

Four tons, by the way, is equal to more than 21,000 medium-sized Idaho potatoes, and would cook up into approximately one million french fries!

This will be the first time the Big Idaho Potato Truck will join Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade, which is the city’s longest-running event and one of the country’s oldest, having started in 1858.

The parade steps off Saturday at Noon on Peachtree Street and 15th Street in Midtown (near the Woodruff Arts Center), and continues south on Peacthree to 5th Street. Details on the parade route, parking, and spectator sports may be found here.

So…about that big potato. You know we had to spend a morning on board the truck. We also learned more about the truck’s special stop at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. But did we get to eat any fries? Click the video player above to find out!