Each year, Turnip Fest coincides with Hat Full of Potatoes Day in Orleans at the Birdwatchers General Store. I’m not entirely sure how this tradition began, but if you show up at the store with a hat, they will fill it with potatoes. People bring baseball hats and “Cat in the Hat” sized hats. And walk away with a
Hat full of potatoes”.
I’ve heard that the store started this tradition in order to reduce the number of birds who are eaten on Thanksgiving, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not. In any case, we now have lots of potatoes to eat!