Cornfest is Saturday in Rolling Meadows

A children’s area will be a new feature this year at the Community Church of Rolling Meadows’ 57th Annual Cornfest.

The event, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, includes a hamburger or hot dog, watermelon, pop and all the sweet corn you can eat. The price is $12 for adults, $9 for people 62 and older, and $5 for children, ages 4 to 12.

The children’s area will include a jump house, face painting, airbrush temporary tattoos and sand art. A police Humvee and a fire truck will be among vehicles on display.

The accompanying arts and crafts fair and bazaar will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A raffle will include a resort and sports tickets, among other items. Frankie Miglio will provide music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Information and reduced price Cornfest tickets are at communitychurchrm.com.

The origins of Cornfest can be traced back to a small backyard cookout among a few church families around 1955. A year later, a couple of church members observed a community corn boil while on vacation, and brought back the idea of having something similar in Rolling Meadows. In August 1957, the first official Community Church Cornfest was born.

Through the years some things have changed: cooking procedures have significantly improved, the big yellow and white tent was added in the late 1980s, and a craft fair in the late 1990s. The menu however, has remained virtually the same as has the purpose: to give members of Community Church the opportunity to reach out to the community for a day of food, fun and fellowship.

On Sunday, Aug. 4, at 9:30 a.m., the congregation will meet under the Cornfest tent for outdoor worship in concert with members of Kingdom Life House of Prayer with the men of Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago as guests. The mission’s men’s choir will be providing music and testimonies. Dress is casual and all are welcome.