HOOPESTON, Ill. (WAND) — Sunday marked the 81st Annual National Sweet Corn Festival. Attendees travel from all across central Illinois and many agree this corn is like no other.
"The corn is a whole different taste than anything you've ever had. You can't make this taste at home," said three-time past chairman Karen Eighner.
This is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. For some, the most enjoyable part is watching the process of the corn being served.
The corn is shipped from Indiana, shucked in a husker machine, and dumped in boiling water. The hot corn is then buttered and salted and given to people with a limit of six cobs per person.
"Somewhere between 48,000 and 50,000 ears is what we sold through the weekend. We get 1008 crates with four dozen ears in each," said festival co-chairman Brett Rush.
One family, the Murphy's, traveled from Chicago to taste and take corn to-go.Â
"We take the kernels off and save it for the winter. So it's just fun to be here with family and spend time together and have the experience every year to look forward to," said Sarah Murphy.
Organizer's will start planning next year's sweet corn festival in November.
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