Many communities in the Fox Valley have some kind of traditional celebration locals look forward to and for Sugar Grove resident Samantha Calderon, it’s the annual Corn Boil that get things cooking every year.
“We moved here a few years ago from Warrenville and have been coming ever since,” she said as she and her husband Joel sat at a table Friday night at Volunteer Park in Sugar Grove enjoying the fest. “I love the corn and it brings people together and also brings out people from other communities.”
Now nearly 60 years old, the Sugar Grove Corn Boil, organized annually by a citizen volunteer group, opened Thursday and runs through Sunday with its usual array of carnival rides, food vendors, kids’ activities and live entertainment.
Organizers expect around 30,000 to 35,000 to visit Volunteer Park, at 31 S. Main St., for the fest during its four-day run.
Friday’s crowd arrived early for the fest, which included performances by three bands, including The Dog & Pony Show, who offered unplugged music, followed by a Led Zeppelin tribute band and the Karen Hart Band which closed the evening offering their own tribute to bands The Pretenders and Heart.
Joel Calderone said Friday that music was one of the things that has drawn him to the Corn Boil.
“The thing about community festivals, I just like seeing everybody out,” he said. “It kind of brings a little bit of normalcy as we all went through COVID and all that kind of stuff. I enjoy seeing the community out and people just sort of in the mix.”
Food was very much on people’s minds as Calderone said his go-to “was the pulled pork.”
Annabell’s Bar-B-Q was happy to provide him and others its pulled pork as well as the popular pork on a stick at the festival.
Head cook Karl Grant of Shorewood said the barbecue business “has been around over 20 years and has been here at the Corn Boil every year.”
“We get people that follow us around, and we see new faces but it’s also great to see the same people over and over,” he said. “I’m the one responsible for grilling all the pork chops. Last year, we did over 4,000. The key, I tell people, is low and slow.”
Elburn resident Dave Burroughs was charged with overseeing the task of boiling the corn at the fest. He said he has been volunteering at the Corn Boil “for over 25 years.”
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“We bought 8,000 ears of corn this year. Last year, I think we did 6,000, but we figured the weather was going to be good and people would be coming out,” he said.
Ryan Chrisman of Aurora and his family on Friday said it was their first time visiting the Corn Boil.
“It was one of these things where we heard about it from people,” Chrisman said. “We went to another fair last year and we love to socialize and get to see the community and eat some corn and maybe see a concert.”
Ryan’s wife Jessica Chrisman said people like events like the Sugar Grove Corn Boil “because they are nostalgic.”
“People have grown up with this and even though I’m not from here I grew up with stuff like this,” she said. “Every place has its own little fingerprint based on the community you’re in.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.