Hosting a bowl game is big business for Boise, generating nearly $1 million to the economy. To help encourage that economic boost, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl organizers are throwing a party that begins Tuesday with a bowling event to benefit local and team charities. It ends Saturday with festivities honoring the winner of the 16th annual bowl game to be played on that recognized blue turf.
The bowl's Executive Director Kevin McDonald tells us the scheduled events:
"On Thursday night we'll have our humanitarian awards dinner where we will honor a player from each team. On Friday we'll have a community outreach afternoon where we'll take the players to local hospitals. On Friday we'll also have a new event; we're calling it the Mash Bash on the Basque block. We'll feature food trucks. It will be a fun atmosphere. We're going to ask the team bands to come entertain the group."
There will also be a tail gate party that begins Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Shuttles will be running every 15 minutes from downtown Boise beginning Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Kick off is scheduled for 2:30 as the USU Aggies take on Toledo during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
