UPDATE: Thinly sliced, freshly fried - yum! When I stopped by around 4:30, there weren't even any lines - just lots of happy folks being urged to "take as many as you want."

The J.R. Simplot Co. is inviting the public to its “Free Fry Day” today from 4-7 p.m. at JUMP, which stands for “Jack’s Urban Meeting Place,” along 9^th Street in downtown Boise.  The event marks National French Fry Day, and also is a chance for the company to invite the public in to its new downtown site, which includes JUMP along with the company’s headquarters.

“We wanted to celebrate National French Fry Day and what better way to do it than serving up free french fries,” said Bill Whitacre, President and CEO of the J.R. Simplot Company. “This is also a chance to thank the public for their patience during the construction of our new building and for their tremendous support of the J.R. Simplot Company over the years.”

Simplot will operate a giant fryer, first used at the Idaho Potato Bowl, that can churn out 2,000 pounds of fresh fries per hour; it plans to fry up 5,000 pounds worth. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring canned food donations for the Idaho Food Bank.