The Cokato Corn Carnival returns this year with a full schedule of events Aug. 9-11 in Peterson Park, downtown Cokato.
Activities begin on Monday, Aug. 9, with the Kiddie parade at 6 p.m. All Kiddie Parade participants will receive participation prizes, which include complimentary ride tickets for the midway. Sign up for the Kiddie Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Seventh Street East. The main parade will follow after the conclusion of the Kiddie parade.
Following the parades, the food stands, bingo, and midway rides in the park will open. No free corn-on-the-cob will be served Monday evening.
The Cokato Museum will also be open 5-9 p.m. Monday with its featured display, “Cokato Firefighters to the Rescue: Celebrating 125 Years of Service!”
Park activities for Tuesday, Aug. 10, begin at noon when the midway and rides open. Food stands will also be open in the afternoon. Registration for the children’s prize drawings runs from noon to 3 p.m., with drawings at 3:15 p.m. You must be present to win. Information stands and button sales begin at 12:30 p.m., and bingo starts at 1:30 p.m. Free corn-on-the-cob is served at the Corn Stand from 4-8 p.m. The Cokato Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. A used book sale will be in the Centennial Room of the library/museum building from 2-7 p.m.
The culmination of the day will be the 74th Annual Miss Cokato Coronation ceremony, on the main stage, at 8 p.m. Eight candidates are vying for the titles of Miss Cokato and Cokato Princess. The program will include the introduction of visiting royalty, presentation of the Commodore Award and Community Service Award, and farewells from the reigning royalty, who served two years due to Covid-19. Finally, the 2021-2022 royalty will be crowned.
Wednesday, Aug. 11, activities start in the afternoon with the children’s prize drawings, button sales, bingo, midway, and food stands. Registration for the children’s prize drawings runs from noon to 3 p.m. with the drawings at 3:15 p.m. Free corn-on-the-cob runs from 4-8 p.m. The Cokato Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 3 -7 p.m. will host “Fire Trucks and Firefighters: An Outdoor Meet And Greet” on Fourth street in front of the museum. The used book sale continues in the Centennial Room from 2-7 p.m. Wednesday evening’s entertainment schedule begins with the Mid-Minnesota Concert Band at 7 p.m. At 8 p.m., the Looney Lutherans will take the stage, entertaining the crowd with their family-friendly shenanigans.
The finale of the carnival arrives at 10 p.m., with the drawing for the cash prizes and the separate raffle for the 2021 Ford EcoSport. Tickets for the car are still available. Those interested in purchasing a ticket should check with Cokato City Hall, Holt Motors, or members of the Cokato Fire Department. Cost per ticket is $100.
Carnival attendees can also purchase $4 raffle tickets to be eligible for cash prize drawings and to help fund the tradition of offering the free corn-on-the-cob, served from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. While a button/raffle purchase is not required for entry to the Carnival, it is the primary revenue source for the festival, and helps keep the Carnival running.
A complete summary of carnival activities can be found at www.cokatocorncarnival.com, or the official Facebook page, Corn Carnival Lovers Fan Page.
