by Barbara Arnstein:
The 61st Annual Eden Corn Festival, in Eden, NY, offers all kinds of summer fun! It has a parade, a pet show, tractor pulls, Midway rides and games, an auto show, entertainment (with both local and regional and talent), a craft show, food stands and more, and lots and lots of sweet corn, both fresh picked and cooked. The Stage will feature local and regional talent. The contests include a Celebrity Corn Husking Contest, a Corn-Q-BBQ Cook Off Contest, a Horseshoes Contest, a Corn Growers Competition and a Corn Hole Competition.
“Dan Dunleavy, a local resident, who is the play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Sabres, will be doing the announcing for the Celebrity Corn Husking Contest”, said Jeff Winter, President of the Eden Corn Festival. The celebrities will include popular personalities from local television and radio stations. “The parade is a mile and a half long, and it will have 70 different elements, including floats and marching bands”, he continued. “The floats have a corn theme and are judged for three things: originality creativity and effort. There will be 26 rides on the Midway. This year the Run for the Corn will have two different courses. Two hundred vendors will be participating in the craft show on Saturday and Sunday, and we expect 50,000 to 75,000 people over the four days.”
“At the Festival, we sell hot buttered corn on the cob and curly fries, at two stands. The Festival is not just a carnival, it helps support the community”, said Bill Laing, a member of the Eden Volunteer Fire Department. “We will have a regular firetruck and an antique truck in the parade. It was one of the first firetrucks here, and we refurbished it.”
The fun extends throughout four days. On Thursday, July 31st, and Friday, August 1st, the Festival and the Midway open at 3pm, while on Saturday, August 2nd and Sunday, August 3rd, they open at noon. The Sons of the American Legion will run a Clam Stand. The Hometown Pet Show includes pets other than dogs and cats, including horses and pigs. The age categories for the Corn Husking Contest are: five and under, six to ten years old eleven to fifteen years old, and adult. There is an Eden Agriculture Showcase, and the sports included are volleyball, baseball and t-ball.
Fun Facts: The farmer whose corn is judged the best will be crowned King of the Town of Eden and receive a trophy. In 1978, Luis Pirada of Eden got his name into the Guinness Book of World Records for eating the most ears (eighteen) in five minutes. Admission to the Festival is free, but there is a fee for parking. For more information, go to: edencornfest.com, and the Festival’s Facebook page.