Cokato draws crowds during mid-August
By Roz Kohls
Staff Writer
People come from miles around the area to sink their teeth into the hot, buttery corn served during Cokato’s Corn Carnival in August.
Since 1950, the Cokato Corn Carnival has provided rides, music, food, games, a parade and all the free corn-on-the-cob you can eat.
As an outdoor gathering, the carnival has always been at the whim of Mother Nature, according to the Cokato Historical Society.
The first night of the very first carnival was washed out by a terrible rainstorm. But the next day, the skies cleared, and a crowd estimate at more than 5,000 came out to enjoy the festivities.
Even after a tornado of June 1992, had caused so much damage to Cokato, the carnival went ahead, according to the historical society.
Politicians of all stripes have been seen enjoying the carnival. Some of the governors who made their way to Cokato included C. Elmer Anderson (1952), Orville Freeman (1956), Elmer L. Andersen (1961), and Harold LeVander (1968). Former Minnesota State Supreme Court Chief Justice A. M. “Sandy” Keith visited in 1965 during his tenure as lieutenant governor, and Rudy Perpich also made an appearance in 1976, when he presented mayor Lee Rosenquist with a bicentennial flag.
Senator and former vice president Hubert Humphrey and his wife Muriel, visited in 1971.
The celebration usually begins with a church service at Peterson Park the Sunday before the carnival begins. Most activities take place in and around the natural amphitheater of Peterson Park.
Standard events include a big evening parade, a kiddie parade, midway rides, live musical entertainment, concessions, queen coronation, special displays at the Cokato Museum and Akerlund Studio, car raffle, and drawings.
Buying Corn Carnival buttons entitles corn eaters to enter prize drawings and free corn-on-the-cob. Folks can hardly wait to sample the fresh corn plucked from neighboring fields as well as the fun and entertainment at the Corn Carnival.
Two grand prizes are given away in separate raffles on Wednesday - one for cash prizes, entered by purchasing a Corn Carnival button, and one for a car, co-sponsored by the Cokato Fire Department, Corn Carnival and a local car dealership.
Cokato Corn Carnival Monday - Wednesday, Aug. 13-15
What: Three days of fun, starting on a Monday and ending Wednesday; one of the few festivals that misses true weekends and follows during the week. This year, the festival will be Monday, Aug. 13 through Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007.
When, where: In the heart of Cokato at Peterson Park, located downtown. Numerous events take place, including Midway rides, live entertainment, and the grand prize giveaway of a car Wednesday evening.
