Shippensburg’s 37th annual corn festival kicked off Saturday morning, containing both new and traditional events such as live music, an antique auto show and a corn-eating contest.
The corn festival was first held in 1979 and was founded by the Shippensburg Heritage and Recreation Planning Society (SHARP). The festival was originally created in order to protect Shippensburg’s history and create a sense of pride in the community, according to the festival’s website.
“We do a lot of craft shows and were amazed by the number of people and the variety of vendors [at the corn festival] – we’ve come back ever since,” said Amy Kelsey, founder of jewelry vendor The Beadwhisperer.
Throughout the day, numerous acts performed for the convening members of Shippensburg’s community, including local bands such as Hemlock Hollow, Mid Life Crisis and Gravy.
This year’s festival ran from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and was comprised of 227 craft vendors and 34 food vendors, stretching through nine blocks of King Street. Next year’s festival will be held on Aug. 25, 2018.
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