Gleason's Tater Week Takes Shape

GLEASON — The City of Gleason's annual Tater Week has begun to take shape, with the 2026 Tater Town Special scheduled for August 31–September 5. Some events, like the Miss Tater Town pageant, start even sooner.

The Miss Tater Town pageant is Saturday, August 22, at Gleason School (3 Championship Drive, Gleason). This is a qualifying pageant for the Strawberry Festival.

The pageant begins at 10 a.m. with the Baby Show, which has five components: 0–11 months, 1 year old, 2 years old, 3 years old and 4–5 years old.

The next show is Little Mr. and Miss, which is open to contestants 6–9 years old.

Pre-Teen Miss Tater Town follows. The pre-teen contest is open to ages 10–12.

Junior Miss Tater Town comes next and is open to contestants 13–15 years old.

Miss Tater Town is the last contest and is open to contestants aged 18–21.

Pageants will start no earlier than every 30 minutes, according to the Gleason Gazelles. There will be a lunch break from 12:30–1 p.m.

Contestants are asked to be dressed and ready 15 minutes prior to their assigned start time. The judges' decisions are final; bad sportsmanship is not tolerated and may result in disqualification without refund.

Pageant registration begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 22. The general registration fee is $25, and special categories are $5 each.

Tater Week officially begins Monday, August 31, with a block party in downtown Gleason, beginning at 6 p.m. September 1 is the annual Tater Town Special Car Show, beginning at 6:30 in downtown Gleason. Youth Bingo is September 2 at the Gazelle Grounds, beginning at 6 p.m. Adult Bingo is September 3 at the Gazelle Grounds, beginning at 6 p.m.

The Tater Town Special Parade and Vendor Fair closes out Tater Week on Saturday, September 5. The finale event is at the Gazelle Grounds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Gleason Gazelles shared a food truck application for individuals wishing to set up at this year's events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1enuNXECE-o2aCxnx9W_L8rwddwV1M2wvFNJxnXj2LgY/edit?tab=t.0

Visit the Gleason Gazelles-Tater Town Special's Facebook page for more information.