Potato Fest Raises Funds for Derry Church

DERRY, N.H. - The congregation of the First Parish Church in East Derry recently held a Potato Festival to raise rehabilitation funds for a local church. According to New Hampshire.com, the first ever Potato Fest included local artists, potato chip tasting, potato haiku writing, a Derry museum display, and food.

Nancy Heywood, who co-chair's the church's preservation committee with Janet Wetherbee, wanted to create an event that celebrated the town's history, which is celebrating the 300th anniversary of its original establishment as Nutfield next year, while also raising funds and awareness of efforts to rehabilitate the First Parish Meetinghouse, built on the very first plot of land established in town.

So far, the church raised about $800,000 from the community and had about $200,000 already on-hand to fund the first phases of renovations.

"This is one of the biggest preservation projects in the state," Lindemann said.

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