Nothing says summer like a hot, buttery and delicious ear of corn, so juicy the kernels just pop on your taste buds.
Get ready to experience just that, during a fun event that allows participants to mingle downtown with friends, family and neighbors.
It’s time for the 20th annual Camp Verde CornFest, and it’s going to be bigger than ever. It’s the first time the event is being expanded to cover two days, Friday and Saturday, thanks in large part to Camp Verde Promotions.
The expansion of the festival is particularly notable in a time when other festivals, like the annual Crawdad Festival, are calling it quits. However, the CornFest and other events, including Fort Verde Days, continue to thrive under the direction of private residents since the Town of Camp Verde gave up sponsorship of events for financial reasons.
Carlie Androus, head organizer with Camp Verde Promotions, said she’s learned from previous efforts in organizing events over the past couple of years and applies those lessons to help make each subsequent event seem to run more smoothly.
This will also be the first year beer will be sold at CornFest, but Androus has said this event will be like it always has been, primarily focused on family fun.
There will be plenty of games and events, an entertainment center for the kids, as well as plenty of nonprofit organizations and other groups that will have booths set up.
The festival is also going to feature live bluegrass music.
Events kick off on the downtown soccer field at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 15. The beer garden, vendors and, of course, plenty of roasted corn will be available. The old downtown jail, beautifully restored by volunteers to its original 1930s condition, will also be open to the public.
At 7 p.m., The Hardways Band takes the stage and during the break, the festival will hold a corniest joke competition. People who don’t know any jokes but still like to be heard can participate in the hog calling competition.
Things get started the next day at 10 a.m. with the kiddie tractor pull and the reopening of the jail. The newest ranks of corn-based royalty will be crowned at 11 a.m. with the Corn Prince and Princess competition for the little ones between 3 and 5 years old, followed up with a sack race at noon for three age groups — 6 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 to 16.
Those not participating in the sack race can still be entertained by the bluegrass-spinning disc jockey on the field. The day continues with activities for those same three age groups, including a corn eating contest, hog calling contest and joke contest for the younger ones, a water balloon toss, a shoe race and a bubblegum blowing contest.
The King and Queen of Cornfest will be crowned at 5:30 p.m.
The day is rounded out from 7 to 10 p.m. with the music of the Burnett Family Bluegrass Band.
For more information on the event, call 301-0922 or 300-7077.
