POCATELLO — The 46th annual Simplot Games are set to take place this week, turning the community into its own Olympic Games environment.

Andrea Gumm, public affairs manager at Simplot, said the games will start Thursday with a ribbon cutting at 4:15 p.m. at the ICCU Dome.

“Thursday and Friday are the qualifying days,” Gumm said. “Saturday is the finals for all our events.”

On Saturday, a Parade of Athletes will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the ICCU Dome, where all competing athletes will walk the track before competition begins.

“We try to give an Olympic experience,” Gumm said. “We honor all the Olympians who are coming this year.”

This year’s guest Olympians and Paralympians include Stacy Dragila, who won the first-ever Olympic women’s pole vault gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games and is a two-time world champion; Andre Phillips, who won gold in the men’s 400-meter hurdles at the 1988 Seoul Games and is a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame; Willie Banks, a three-time Olympian in the men’s triple jump from 1980, 1984 and 1988 and also a USA Track and Field Hall of Famer; and Tyson Gunter, a 2016 Paralympian and two-time world championship silver medalist in the high jump in 2013 and 2017.

Also attending are Hunter Woodhall, who won Paralympic gold in the 400 meters and bronze in the 4x100 universal relay at the 2024 Paris Games, and his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall, who won gold in the women’s long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“They met at the Simplot Games back when they were in high school,” Gumm said.

For this year’s games, 2,120 high school athletes from 12 states will compete, along with athletes from Canada and Australia.

“Our sweet spot is 2,000 athletes,” Gumm said. “We hit that every year like clockwork.”

Gumm said she is excited that the Simplot Games have reached their 46th year, noting the event has become an important part of the Pocatello community.

“I don’t know what February in Pocatello would be like without the Simplot Games,” Gumm said. “It’s woven into the fabric of this community.”

Among Gumm’s favorite parts of the event is the Dick Fosbury Breakfast, also known as the Olympian Breakfast, which will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday at the ICCU Bengal Alumni Center.

“We bring in Olympic athletes to speak to our community about their experiences,” Gumm said.

Gumm also enjoys watching athletes from across the country and world interact with the local community.

“They come back and talk about how welcoming the community was,” Gumm said. “I love to share the community.”

More information about the Simplot Games can be found at simplotgames.com. Tickets for the Olympian Breakfast are $30 and can be purchased at simplotgames.com/games-store.