BABYLON EATS · EAST FARMINGDALE

Long Island was potato country long before it was anything else. At the height, the Long Island Potato Festival says, more than 70,000 acres of the Island were potato farms, about a tenth of all its land, growing more than 40 varieties. This weekend the festival brings that history to the President’s Lawn at Farmingdale State College, on Route 110 in East Farmingdale.

When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 1 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: admission and general parking are free; food and some attractions cost extra. For the GPS, the festival says to enter “Farmingdale State College, Horton Hall.” It is about a four-minute drive from the Farmingdale LIRR station.

The food court is the point. More than 20 trucks are each doing their own take on the potato. A sample from the posted list: loaded mashed potato bowls from Big Ed’s, potato bisque from DJs Clam Shack, potato chorizo empanadas from Island Empanada, plain and loaded knishes from Krazy Knish, Jamaican potato salad from Unique Cuisine, crispy potato balls in tamarind sauce from Coconut Island Grill, and a potato chip on a stick from The Yum Spot. Some trucks come one day only: Lavierie’s potato rosemary pizza and Joe’s Wings’ pierogies are Saturday only, and All American Wonton’s loaded potato wontons are Sunday only.

Take some home. Hoshyla Farms runs a farmers market with produce from Long Island farms, and there is a vendor showcase of local companies. Then there is Potato Mountain. In 1937 the Riverhead Potato Festival piled more than 1,000 bushels of Long Island potatoes into a mountain and let visitors take them home. This year’s festival is reviving the idea. Guess how many potatoes are in the pile for a chance at $500, and come back Sunday at 5 p.m., when the festival gives away a free five-pound bag of Long Island potatoes per person while they last.

For the kids: a Tater Tot Lot with lawn games, a free ninja obstacle course, and a Bounce Park that needs its own ticket (the price goes up to $20 at the gate, so buy ahead on the festival site). Mulcahy’s runs a beer garden for guests 21 and older, with ID. Two things to know: the whole festival is on grass, and the college allows only service animals, so leave the dog at home.

And one more food weekend. Long Island Restaurant Week ends Sunday, Nov. 8. Our Restaurant Week guide lists the Town of Babylon kitchens taking part.

Sources: Long Island Potato Festival · The Food Court · FAQs · I Love Babylon calendar

Stock photo, not the Long Island Potato Festival. Photo by Will Ma on Unsplash.