What was expected to be one of DeKalb’s most celebrated traditions of the year turned into a literal disaster after Friday’s flooding canceled Cornfest’s first day of events.

However, what was first thought of as a disaster for the 30th annual festival turned out to be a success for the better part of the weekend.

Friday’s festivities were canceled due to flooding in the DeKalb and Sycamore area. Lisa Angel, Cornfest coordinator, said it was in the public’s best interest to cancel the day’s activities.

“It’s not worth risking public safety,” Angel said. “We wanted everyone out there helping the town where it was needed.”

However, the show went on for the rest of the weekend as volunteers returned to Lincoln Highway to make Cornfest a success. Thousands of people showed up over the weekend for the festival’s food, live music, auto show, carnival rides and various other activities, not to mention Cornfest’s main attraction — the 18,000 ears of free corn, courtesy of Del Monte Foods.

Main soundstage directors Shawn Lowe and Dave Johnson have been putting together the production for three years now. Booking mostly Northern Illinois regional bands, they also manage to include some national acts such as Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington, who performed at the soundstage Sunday evening.

“The best part about this job is seeing people show up and have fun to this,” Lowe said.

Saturday’s auto show, despite a decrease in size this year, still proved to be a big hit among people. The show was moved last minute from Huntley Park to Third Street, due to the recent flooding in the area.

Angel had no doubt that with the fantastic lineup of bands, the great corn and dedicated volunteers that Cornfest would be no less than a success this year.

“My volunteers are so ‘where there’s a will there’s a way,’” Angel said.
A Cornfest first-timer and grad student at NIU, Steve Braband said one of the best attractions of the fair was the ’80s music, but that the corn was the real allure.
“You gotta come for the corn,” Braband said.

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