The 38th annual Adel Sweet Corn Festival parade started its procession at 9:30 a.m. Saturday under sunny skies and with mild temperatures, and crowds lined the Prairie Street route from S. 18th to S. 12th streets.
Police and military honorees led the way, with 2017 Adel Sweet Corn Festival Parade Grand Marshal Jan Price close behind. Price is a 1953 graduate of Adel High School who attended the University of Northern Iowa and then taught school 37 years.
Besides working for many years as curator of the Adel Historical Museum, in which capacity she worked tirelessly and successfully to see built the Nile Kinnick Jr. and Governor George Clarke addition to the museum, Price has been an active member of the Adel Women’s Club, PEO, Friends of the Adel Public Library, George Mifflin Dallas Questers and St. John’s Catholic Church and as an Adel Partners Chamber Community Patron member.
The 2017 Sweet Corn Festival Princess was the lovely Miss Rachelle Repp, whose court included runners-up Isabelle Karwal, Grace Bleckwehl and Chloe Olthoff.
Six-term Adel Mayor Jim Peters greeted the crowd from the rear of a 2017 Corvette Stingray. Close on Peters’ heels was his young contender for the mayoralty, Carter Nordman, 19, who served as the state director of Iowa Students for Trump during the 2016 presidential race. It is the first time Peters has been challenged during his 26-year tenure as Adel’s mayor.
The corn celebrations will continue until the evening hours, according to the following schedule of events:
Saturday, August 12
- 8 a.m. – Sweet Corn 5K Race
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Vendor booths open
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Adel Public Library Used Book Sale
- 9:30-11 a.m. – Parade (lineup begins at 8:30 a.m.)
- 11 a.m. – Sweet Corn (Until it’s GONE)
- 6 p.m. – Beer Garden (only open to ages 21 and over)
Saturday, August 12 Entertainment – Strolling / Lawn
- Noon to 2 p.m. – Sparklehoop Dance (south side of Courthouse)
- 1:30-2 p.m. Adel Tumbling & Dance Club
- 2-2:30 p.m. GottaZing
- 2:30-3 p.m. ADM Dance Team
- 3-3:30 p.m. Let’s Dance
- 3:30-4 p.m. Raccoon Valley Marshall Arts Academy
Northwest corner of Courthouse lawn
- Adel Rugby Demonstration and Participatio
Stage
- 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Round-A-Bout
- 6 p.m. Beer Garden opens
- 7 p.m. – Midnight – The Sons of Gladys Kravitz
Additional Saturday Activities
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Children’s Rides (located on Ninth Street)
- 11 a.m. – Knock Out Basketball (First Christian Church parking lot)
- 11 a.m. – Bean Bag Tournament (Old Middle School, $30 entry fee)
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Ice Cream Social and Book Signing, Mike Flinn (front lawn of Historical Museum, 1129 Main St)
- 2 pm – Mercy Life Flight Display
Mercy will be landing their helicopter at 2:00pm by the Old Middle School. All are invited to see the helicopter up close and talk to the Adel Fire and Mercy crews
Beer Garden
- Beer Garden 6 p.m. – Midnight
- $5 cover charge per person or 5 for $120. Beer/hard Lemonade is $5 (16oz Bottle)
N.B. Only adults ages 21 and older will be allowed in the beer garden.
Festival Parking
Free parking and shuttle bus service will be provided from the ADM High School parking lot, located on the south end of U.S. Highway 169 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Shuttle will drop off and pickup just South of Wells Fargo bank on the square. Shuttle is provided by HomeCare Services and is handicapped accessible. A small donation to HomeCare Services is suggested.
