Sugar Grove corn boil draws a real crowd

Although no tickets are sold and there is no way to get an exact number, Sugar Grove Corn Boil President Kevin Geary estimates that the three-day festival drew between 35,000 and 50,000 people. The event was held July 25-27 at Volunteer Park behind John Shields Elementary School.

"We had a record crowd for the entertainment at the main stage Friday night and an overflow crowd for the fireworks Saturday night," Geary said.

"We did as well as we did last year," he added. "It was a huge success despite the challenges of the economy. I think we broke even. We'll crunch the numbers this month and see if we have any seed money for next year."

With new home building slowing dramatically, and companies like Kimball Hill and Neumann Homes going bankrupt, there was concern that organizers would not attract enough sponsorships. In years past, with new neighborhoods sprouting up, developers could be relied on to help finance the festivities.

There was also concern this year that the Sugar Grove Lions Club would not be able to raise enough money to foot the $12,000 bill for the fireworks, always a crowd pleaser. But once again, Sugar Grove businesses and individuals came through.

Geary said that food sales were outstanding. The committee had purchased 12,000 ears of Illinois sweet corn for the event. Geary said only 15 cases of raw corn were left over, and those were sold Sunday.

Geary said he would like to thank the volunteers who chaired events, including Kim Plumb (corn); Beverly Holmes Hughes (business and crafters); Al Markus (facilities); Diana Baker (entertainment); Tony and Sabrina Milano (opening ceremonies); Lisa Lund (carnival) and Ross Scimeca (volunteers).

Watson's birthday: Watson, the mascot of the Town and Country Public Library at 320 E. North St. in Elburn, has a birthday Aug. 8.

Patrons are invited to celebrate with cake and ice cream on Thursday and Friday.

Spot the Dog, a favorite children's book character, will visit the library at 3 p.m. Aug. 8. Children will hear stories about the escapades of Spot and his friends. There will be time for children to hug Spot, and for parents to take photos after the stories.

For details, call the library at (630) 365-2244.

Chamber meeting: The Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce meets for lunch at noon Aug. 14 at the Fire Protection District, 25 S. Municipal Drive. There is a new member orientation at 11:30 a.m.

Guest speaker Ralph Harkison will discuss tax assessment and real estate taxes. The cost is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For information, call Lisa Lund at (630) 466-1192, ext. 7411 or e-mail llund@castlebank.com.