MENDOTA — The 79th annual Mendota Sweet Corn Festival will return to downtown Mendota Aug. 6 through Aug. 9 with four days of family activities, carnival rides, live entertainment, food vendors, a craft and vendor show, the Sweet Corn Queen Pageant, a parade, and the festival’s signature free sweet corn served Sunday at 2 p.m. using a vintage steam engine. Admission and parking are free, with charges only for carnival rides, food purchases, and the beer garden. Festival visitors will also see two new downtown murals and several new businesses that have opened since last year’s event.
“We just got two incredible new murals. They’re both of native wildlife of the area,” said Madeline Piller, president and CEO of the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce. “We wanted to bring some nature into downtown and really brighten up the space. So this year, as you’re going to the Sweet Corn Festival, you can see all the beautification that we’ve been working on.”
The festival begins Thursday and concludes Sunday with the annual parade and the tradition of serving free steamed sweet corn, which has become one of the event’s biggest attractions.