The St. Patrick's Day parade in the US will feature a four-ton, 72-foot long potato

The St. Patrick's Day parade in Hot Springs, Arkansas will feature a gigantic potato in this year's procession on March 17.

Read More: Hot Springs, Arkansas hosts multi-day St. Patrick's Day celebration

The gigantic Big Idaho Potato and its accompanying truck and trailer will join the Irish Elvis impersonators, green Irish wolfhounds, and Irish belly dancers parading down the 98-foot Bridge Street (the “World’s Shortest Street for Everyday Use”) for the First Ever 16th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

"The potato is woven deep into the heritage of Ireland and the millions of Irish Americans whose ancestors fled the Great Potato Famine of 1845-1852," Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said in a press release.

Read More: When are St Patrick’s Day 2019 parades taking place in Dublin, New York, Boston, and Chicago?

"That catastrophe left a million Irish people dead and saw a million more immigrate to the United States and other parts of North America."

Read More: Celebrate Irish Potato Day with these lovely spud recipes

"While the Big Idaho Potato will bring still more zany fun to our World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, it will also serve as a reminder of why so many Americans trace their ancestry and cultural heritage back to Ireland."

The incredible spud, which is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, has toured the country since 2012.

But is it real?

According to the press release from the commission: ”We'll never tell ... but if it is," the commission says the potato is the equivalent of 21,562 Idaho potatoes and would take 7,000 years to grow.

A spud this big would take two years to bake and would make 20,217 servings of mashed potatoes or 970,380 french fries.

H/T: Arkansas Democrat Gazette

St Patrick’s Day 2019: Looking for events in your community this St Patrick’s Day or to share further information on the March 17 celebrations in your area? Join our St Patrick’s Day 2019 group and celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2019 in proper Irish style.

What St. Patrick's Day parades will you be attending this year? Let us know in the comments!

* Originally published in Jan 2019.