Adel Sweet Corn Festival

One of my favorite festivals of the summer (I think I might say that a lot since I just love summer festivals) is the Adel Sweet Corn festival.  The 2013 festival is on August 10th this year.

The event begins with a 5k at 8am and a parade from 9:30-11 and then the vendor fair with inflatables for the kids commences with a huge FREE corn feed!  Tons of the sweetest Adel sweet corn is given away and you can eat all you want until they run out.  There is a free will donation box there if you want to donate.  There is usually a long line, but as soon as the feed starts, the line goes fast.

In past years KIOA was there giving out prizes and there were live animals and sheep sheering demonstrations.  Lots of other food and product vendors are there as well selling the usual fair food like corn dogs and tenderloins.

This festival is worth the short drive to Adel for some of the most delicious corn and a fun morning.

We usually park in one of the areas where there is shuttle pick up because parking right around the festival is tough, but the shuttles run often and are are a short trip.

Who doesn't love a celebration based around corn?!

Which festival is your favorite of the summer??

Berry Picking

One of our favorite springtime/summer activities is berry picking! There are a few places that we like to frequent, but please feel free to comment with your favorite place to go! Berry Patch Farm in Neveda and Berry Fresh Farm in Adel are the two that we are most familiar with and love.  

The best times to pick your own fruit vary on the season, but each of their websites will help keep you updated about when to visit the farms. Both sites say strawberries will be ready the second week of June for 2013.  Strawberries are usually available first in late May and early June and blueberries, cherries, raspberries and more seem to be available in July.  

Berry picking is so fun for us because you don't have to make an appointment and it's pretty cheap entertainment, you just pay for what you pick.  You just show up during their business hours and grab some buckets and go gather what you can.  Kids usually love doing this!  There usually isn't too much walking to do since the fields are very close to the main buildings and parking.  This is something you could bring babies in carriers or strollers that are good on grass.  Some of the farms even have some animals the kids can pet when they are done picking and they have concession stands for snacks (smoothies made from fresh berries! yum) and bathrooms available.  We usually only spend an hour or two but have lots of fun making strawberry pies and strawberry shortcake when we get home!