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• Celebrating the staple of Illinois

This Friday, Urbana will give life to the 33rd annual Sweetcorn Festival. Presented by the Urbana Business Association, Champaign County’s largest festival has something to offer everyone.

For the 12th year in a row, the Motor Muster will be at the fest honoring 105 years of Buick automobiles. Also, The Henry Ford Museums Ford Rouge Factory Tour will be in Urbana the duration of the fest. The tour takes place inside a 46 foot trailer that is designed to look like a giant Ford F-150. Once inside, 20 digital displays show how an F-150 is made through life like simulation.

Live music will not be in short supply either. Three stages will be setup in downtown Urbana including a family friendly stage sponsored by WBGL/Provena.

The Miller Main Stage will boast the sounds of Zmick, Cornmeal, Zoso, Delta Kings, Kilbourn Alley, Orquestra Bravo and Pauli Carmen and Champaign. But the buzz has been surrounded 70’s legendary rock group, Foghat, who will be headlining the festival. Don’t miss your chance to crowd the stage and take a “Slow Ride.”

Aside from music and autos, there will be a petting zoo, rock climbing wall, pony rides and new this year, indoor laser tag. Jugglers, magicians and over one-hundred venders will also dot downtown.

And as you walk amongst venders and vintage Buicks this weekend, know that it is no easy undertaking to produce the Sweetcorn Festival. Susan Toalson, the executive director of the UBA and festival committee chair, said the fest relies heavily on public works and sponsors, but the real backbone is made up of volunteers, most being U of I students interning at UBA.

“They have all put the fest at top priority,” said Toalson,. “I can turn them loose and trust that the work is going to get down.”

Toalson also said that most of the money made from food and merchandise sales will go toward funding next year’s festival. So, don’t hold back and please stuff yourself with sweet corn this weekend; it will only make next years festival that much sweeter.