The Labor Day Weekend tradition in Hoopeston officially kicks off at 5 PM Thursday, as the National Sweetcorn Festival gets underway. This year’s chairperson, Megan West, recently joined Laura Williams on 1490 WDAN’s Community Connection program. She says with the Friday night Michael Ray concert, the Saturday and Sunday demolition derbies, and of course free sweetcorn being served Saturday through Labor Day; this year’s festival is once again loaded and ready to go.
AUDIO: We’ve got ride specials at the carnival. We’ve got bingo going on. Saturday morning we’ve got a 5K. We’ve got the parade. We’ve got a car show. And of course, the free sweetcorn starts on Saturday.
And once again the National Miss Sweetheart Pageant is going on as well. Executive Director Michelle Crabtree’s family has been involved in this pageant for 30 years. And a few years back, the decision was made to align with the Miss Volunteer America pageant. Crabtree says it is runner ups from various state pageants that come to Hoopeston, and most of them fully intend to someday make the Miss Volunteer America finals in Jackson, Tennessee.
AUDIO: And so we kind of feel like we’re a training grounds. We’re giving them the experience on a national level; and they can take what they’ve learned from here and go on and compete, and hopefully win that national title.
National Miss Sweetheart contestants during 2022 rehearsals.
There are 19 contestants this year. Preliminaries are at 6:30 PM Saturday; finals are at 6:30 PM Sunday. You will also see all the contestants in the Saturday parade, each wearing a costume that represents something about their home states.
As for the sweetcorn; why does it always seem to taste best in Hoopeston? Megan West says, it’s all about the volunteers who are there to have a good time handing it out.
AUDIO: Honestly, I think it’s the people who serve it. The people who serve it, you know, you get service with a smile; it just makes it extra sweet.
The National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston will run Thursday evening through Labor Day, concluding at 9 PM Monday night.
To hear Laura Williams’ entire interview with Megan West and Michelle Crabtree, please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/the-community-connection/
