31st annual event brings live music, farm tractors & sweet corn to Camp Verde
Give me a “shuck yeah,” as the 31st annual Corn Fest returns to Camp Verde on Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Live music, craft and food vendors, antique farm tractors will be on display and don’t miss the star of the show, fresh sweet corn from Hauser & Hauser Farms served up by Verde Valley Humane Society volunteers.
“It’s a celebration of the agricultural community in Camp Verde,” Parks & Recreation Manager Shawna Figy said. “It’s celebrating our rural roots, and it is a great opportunity to socialize and enjoy live music.”
The music will be popping off throughout the day with the theme of “Country in the Corn,” starting with JFK at 9 a.m., Walt Young Duo at 12:30 p.m. and Pandy Raye & the Panhandlers taking the stage at 2 p.m.
JFK is the stage name for John Francis Kennedy, a Cottonwood-based solo acoustic artist blending country, rock and folk. The matching initials aren’t quite the coincidence they look like: his father was Francis, his grandfather was John.
“I’m looking forward to playing a different venue and being involved in the community in Camp Verde,” Kennedy said. “I do a lot of Willie Nelson’s ‘Pancho and Lefty,’ Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game,’ Alabama’s ‘Old Flame,’ R.E.M.’s ‘Man on the Moon,’ ‘Cleopatra’ by the Lumineers, Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s ‘Lucky Man,’ and Don Williams’ ‘Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.'”
“With a warm stage presence and a diverse repertoire, JFK blends classic favorites, contemporary selections, and heartfelt originals into performances that appeal to a wide range of audience,” he stated. “Whether providing background music for a gathering or serving as the featured entertainment, JFK delivers professional, audience-friendly performances that keep listeners singing along and coming back for more.”
Typically, about 5,000 to 6,000 attendees come out, and Figy estimated last year’s attendance was in the low 5,000s because of the summer heat.
To help attendees stay cool: Indoor air-conditioned seating in the gymnasium will be available, along with the shade at the ramada, and swamp coolers will be set up in the 40×80-foot shade tent where the music will be performed.
“Parking is always a challenge in downtown Camp Verde,” Figy said. “It’s first come, first serve, wherever you can find parking. So, we have the Town Hall parking lot, we have our dirt lot there on Hollamon [Street], and then there is parking along Main Street, and a lot of people park on side streets and other locations that they can find.”
New for 2026 are two contests: The free “red, white and water” challenge at 11:30 a.m., where entrants race to carry water 40 feet using a small bucket to fill a five-gallon container, and a watermelon-eating contest at the ramada at 1:30 p.m. Both competitions have a 9 to 14 age group and a 15 and up category, with the Parks and Recreation commissioners officiating. Contest registration is available online.
“Come and enjoy the Verde Valley Farmers Market,” Figy said. “The farmers market starts at 8 a.m. and our event doesn’t actually open until 9 a.m., but come and enjoy the farmers market and the ramada, and then some corn and beer and activities. Live music will be in the shade tent all day, so come on down and enjoy the festivities.”
Ninety vendors will be on hand serving up the crowds out of their food trucks, and myriad different crafts.
“As part of Camp Verde Parks & Recreation’s ongoing commitment to supporting local nonprofits … the Northern Arizona Dream Center will be operating the dunk tank this year, with proceeds going toward its mission of serving thousands of meals to families and those less fortunate,” according to a town press release.
Volunteers are still needed to help put on the event with clean-up and gatekeeping, so alcohol cannot be taken into or out of the event. To sign up, or if you have questions, contact parks@campverde.az.gov or call 928-554-0820 and select option 3.
