Sweet Corn Festival to be held this weekend in East Prairie

The Sweet Corn Festival will be Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24, in East Prairie, Missouri.

The festival will start at 10 a.m. Friday with vendors selling their food and crafts for a soft start to the weekend. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., there will be a fish fry fundraiser held by Nutrition Center. The fish fry will be at 304 E. Main St. Tickets are $15, and carry-out will be available.

Those attending Friday can enjoy the Main Street party, with a baby photo contest, live music from Finley River Bros, fireworks and more, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Those who would like to compete in the Huskers 5K — www.huskers5k.com — will be able to register at 6 p.m., with the race starting at 6:30 p.m. According to the website, this is a flat course that allows runners to still enjoy the festivities. Runners will be timed with awards presented — and strawberry shortcake for the winner — at the end.

Saturday will start off bright and early with the Tour De Corn Bike Ride. This will be the 22nd year for the ride, put on by the Tour De Corn Committee. Registration and packet pickup for the bike ride will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Main Street Pantry. The ride will start at the Family Life Center, 322 N. Washington St.

The Tour De Corn is a ride, not a race, and will happen rain or shine. Helmets are required for all riders, including children in buggies or bike seats. There are different types of rides — 15 miles, 30 miles, 60 miles and 100 miles. Along the ride, there are rest/snack stops on all routes.

After the race, those who would like to shower must bring their own toiletries, shower shoes and towel. The ride map may be found at www.tourdecorn.com/info.php.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a petting zoo, pig races and camel rides. There will be a duck race, bubble-blowing contest, chicken fling, car show, bike rodeo for children aged 3 to 12, scavenger hunt, volleyball game, cornhole tournament and more.

The Lil Miss Sweet Corn pageant will be held at 11 a.m. At 6:30 p.m., in the high school auditorium, the festival will continue with "Puttin' on the Hits", a musical throwdown like no other, according to the festival's website. Area musicians will be covering their favorite songs and artists in the throwdown.

This festival has been held for more than 45 years and is a staple in the East Prairie Community.

For more information, and a full list of activities, visit www.epsweetcorn.com.