Sweet Corn Highlights

• You can buy fresh sweet corn by the bag throughout the festival, but the main highlight is the free hot buttered corn available only on Sunday. Giant tubs of hot corn are steamed with the help of an antique steam engine, slathered with butter and served by the plate to hungry festivalgoers. Other events include the annual sweet corn food contest, where participants bring their best sweet-corn dishes for judging, and the corn-eating contest, where both adults and kids can participate.

Other Cool Events

• The Sweet Corn Festival hosts a pageant each year on the Friday of the festival. Local teens compete to be crowned festival queen and lead the parade on Sunday. The grand parade is another major highlight of the festival and includes plenty of corn-themed floats, school bands, dance troupes and antique cars, as well as local music acts. Other activities include "Cornapalooza," a 5k and 10k run/walk; a beanbag tournament; a tennis tournament; and a police canine demonstration.

For Your Entertainment

• Live music entertainment is a major part of the festival. Local musicians perform on all four days of the festival, during and between events. The festival's beer garden hosts nightly live bands as well. For kids and families, there's a carnival midway with rides and games. Other children's entertainment and activities include a magic show, balloon artists, face painting and a kiddie pageant show. You can also peruse the Crafter's Market Place, where local artists sell handmade crafts, jewelry and clothing.

Things You Should Know

• The Sweet Corn festival is free to attend, with the exception of the beer garden, which charges a small fee for admission. Designated parking is free as well, but is first come, first served, so you may need to find street parking in the areas surrounding the festival grounds. Plenty of local restaurants and food vendors cook up snacks and meals, including classic fair food like corn dogs and burgers. Accommodations in Mendota include a Super 8 Motel and the Comfort Inn, both just east of downtown and ideal for modest budgets. The other hotels closest to Mendota are about 12 miles away in the towns of Peru and Oglesby, Illinois, where you'll find a wider variety of hotel accommodations to choose from.