Hampshire Coon Creek Country Days ready for crowds, corn, BBQ cook-off
The venue is set for Hampshire's Coon Creek Country Days.
The 37th annual festival runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday; 6 p.m. to midnight Friday; 1 p.m. to midnight Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1-4. Festival grounds are on State Street one block south of Allen Road. Admission is free.
On opening night, rock cover band The Lennys leads off a slate of diverse and generational musical acts to perform throughout the weekend. Barbecue teams are ready to battle and earn their wings on Saturday.
And the sweet corn?
Hampshire Coon Creek Country Days President Carl Palmisano ensures there will be plenty of corn to be had on Sunday despite this rain-soaked growing season. Also, the 4,000 ears will be prepared in the best way possible — boiled with a steam-powered locomotive — before they're distributed free to the masses.
“This is a big thing for our area, not just for Hampshire, but our surrounding community — especially after the Fourth of July,” Palmisano said. “Being we're in the first week of August, this is another event for people to come out and enjoy.”
Whether you come to the festival on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, there's a full list of things to do. Enjoy music representing a variety of genres and decades, including country, classic rock and favorites from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s.
Local food vendors will offer loads of tasty treats, offering everything from barbecue and fair food favorites, like funnel cakes and corn dogs, to Mexican and Italian delicacies. Be sure to visit the beer garden to quench your thirst. The carnival will be in full swing with attractions for all ages, along with a petting zoo and free pony rides for the kids.
Saturday's events feature the second annual barbecue cook-off event that promises to be a highflying affair with the addition of wings and an expanded field of grill masters. Topping off the day is a fireworks extravaganza synchronized to patriotic music that includes plenty of surprises.
Early Sunday morning, head to Hampshire Middle School for the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast and the annual Coon Creek Classic Walk/Run. Then come to downtown Hampshire to watch the grand parade, which is bigger and better than ever thanks to new additions like several units of the crowd-pleasing Medinah Shriners.
Hampshire Coon Creek Country Days, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization formed to host Hampshire's annual festival which raises money for community service organizations in and around Hampshire. For information, visit hcccd.com.
If you go
What: 37th annual Hampshire Coon Creek Country Days festival
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1; 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 2; 1 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Aug. 3; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4
Where: • The fairground on State Street, a half block south of Allen Road, in downtown Hampshire. • Pony rides (Sunday) at Tower Hill Stables, 12N254 Tower Road, Hampshire. • Lions Club Pancake Breakfast (7:30 a.m. Sunday) at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St., Hampshire • Coon Creek Classic (8 a.m. Sunday) begins at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St., Hampshire • Grand Parade (noon Sunday) begins at Warner Street and Washington Avenue
Highlights: Food vendors, crafters, beer garden, carnival, pony rides, petting zoo, fireworks, barbecue cook-off, free corn boil. Bands are Charlie Foxtrot, Focal Point, Friday Jackson, GooRoos, The Lennys, The MacCartyns, Semple Band and Zack Baumgartner.
Admission: Free admission to the fairground; $2 admission to the beer garden
Details: <a href="http://hcccd.com/">hcccd.com</a>