Reprinted with permission from "The Sun".

The following article is excerpted from the special edition of "The Sun" Newspaper (© August 4, 1988). Neither the Webmasters, or the Eden Corn Festival Committees, volunteers associated thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information.

Everyone is all ears in Eden where corn is king, as they prepare to celebrate the 25th annual Eden Corn Festival Thursday through Sunday, August 4-7.

In celebration of the festival's silver anniversary. The Sun made a visit to Jack M. Smith, president of the Eden Agency to help us visualize the first kernels of the birth of the corn festival. Smith was one of the original organizers and has worked on various committees of the festival for all 25 years.

The Eden Chamber of Commerce tossed around the idea of an annual Festival to promote the town during Smith's tenure as chamber president in 1959, he said. The resulting Garden Festival held in 1959 was a great success but did not become the yearly happening which had been hoped for.

Momemtum was gained for the idea following the town's successful Sesquicentennial celebration held in 1962, under the direction of Town Supervisor George Guenther. Many committees had labored throughout the year to pull of the event, Smith said.

Guenther and the chamber discussed retaining the committees to revive interest in the garden festival. Thinking the term too generic, the Eden Chamber of Commerce picked up 1963 chamber President Donald Morehouse's suggestion for a sweet corn festival, as this was the Eden farmers' largest crop. Guenther headed the first corn festival committee and plans were made for the first festival to be held Saturday and Sunday, August 15 and 16, 1964, a time of year when sweet corn would be most tender and at its best.

"The Corn Festival really keeps Eden hometown. Our name is out there as the Garden Spot of New York. It sells Eden. It's the bst public relations event we have, " stated Gale Denn Supervisor.

Committee charmen for the first corn festival were: Donald Morehouse: finance; Leo Wible: publicity; Donald Spencer: carnival; Edward Agle: corn judging; Paul Laing: queen contest; Rev. Clyde Halm: parade; William Ziegelhofer: parade master; and Horace Hunt: traffic and parking.

From the first festival, the site of the Eden corn Festival has been on the grounds of the Newell Faulkner Post of the American Legion on Legion Drive and Route 62.

The corn Festival in 1966 experienced a bigger parade with more prizes. The following year, the festival, which until that time had been pretty much locally-attended, was visited by the Niagara Genesee Chapter of the Wally Byam Caravan Club.

The group set up a temporary village, parking the 40 airstream trailers on the grounds of the Eden Methodist Church.

A brief history of the Corn Festival in the 1973 program credits Al Parmelee with bringing the group to Eden and assures us that during the festivities that year Al "was the busiest man around."

The same historical account recalls 1969 as what was probably one of the most "exciting" yhears as people lined the streets to review the parade, a cone-shaped vision was suddenly sighted in the distance and cries of ""tornado" came from the crowd. Panic and fear greatly reduced the gathering numbers. Remaining festival-goers later learned the "tornado" was only a water spout which evaporated into Lake Erie.

George Guenther chaired the first three corn Festivals.

"Early on the festival was a local event and most the concessionaires were local, " Smith said, adding, "although, Zabel Amusements from Evans provided the rides."

The early hyears featured several exhibition softball games between local groups and games of tug of war, Smith said, compared with this year's slate of events which include playoffs between local little leagues, plus invitational men's first pitch and invitational women's fast pitch softball games. The first game showcased the softball fields installed in the early '60s.

Entertainment including the queen pageant was held on a portable stage on the school grounds borrowed from the Eden School system, Smith said. A variety of musical groups and dance ensembles have provided entertainment throughout the years, most recently on a stage on the Legion Grounds.

"The earlier parades had more units, but while the quantity id down, the qality is way up. The winners in the parade get prizes - this year, they'll get over $5,000 in prize money in commemoration of the 25th year, and in 12 categories, " Smith said. He said, " the parade draws marching units from all over the U.S. and Canada and is judged by professional judges.

"By 1980, the Eden Chamber of Commerce was well aware its project had outgrown their capabilities, so therefore, they turned sponsorship over the to the newly-formed Eden Corn Festival, Inc.

The members of the corporation come from the following organizations: Newell Faulkner Post 880, Eden Jaycees, Eden Fire Departments, Eden A.F.S., Eden Methodist Church, Eden Chamber of Commerce, Eden '39ers, Eden P.T.A., and the Eden Democratic and Eden Republican parties.

Events were added along the way to expand the programming for the festival which became a four-day event in 1974. "Bill Edwards became chairman around, then and he added the extra day to "get the the bugs out", Smith recalls.

Since 1977, the festival, which charges no admission, has sponsored Super Day for the Handicapped. On this day, disabled individuals or groups of disabled are invited to partake of free food and refreshments and to enjoy the rides free of charge.

"Virtually all the concessionaires join in this effort. We usually get bus loads of kids from the West Seneca Development Center and such," Smith said.

"We usually have volunteers take them around, pretty much on a one on one basis," he said.

"The volunteers, committees and chair people are what keeps the festival operating smoothly. Without them, we can't operate." Jack Smith.

The festival has put Eden on the map.

What makes us feel good is people will say, "Eden, that's were you have the corn festival. We come out every year"," said Eden Supervisor Gale Denn.

"Each year there is a lot of recognition for the festival. It's perceived a hometown event. It's not as commercial as just a carnival. It has that community feel to it, said Denn who is in his 11th year as supervisor.

"The Corn Festival really is Eden hometown. Our name is there as as the Garden Spot of New York. It sells Eden. It's the best public relations event we have, " he said.

"The non-profit groups are dependent on it," Smith said adding to make much of their yearly operating funds there.

The cost of the first corn festival was underwritten by the Eden Chamber of Commerce with a process realized from the event going back into the Chamber's treasury. Now, with non-profit corporation overseeing the yearly event, the proceeds alway main in an account to promote next year's event.

"We've had to expand the physical grounds, pay for the electrical upload and cost of the entertainment, Smith said.

He said the Eden Vol.Fire Department has sponsored the corn and french fry booths since the beginning and last year sold approximately 45,000 ears of corn to hungry crowds on the four days of the fest.

"Annual crowds are estimated about 250,000," Smith said, "with nearly 100,000 expected on Sunday due to the parade".

The parade marchers are amazed how the parade route gets packed with spectators from the four corner (center) of Eden to the festival grounds. Though last year's parade was rained out, an entire day of festival has never been rained on Smith said.

Reprinted with permission from "The Sun" dated August 4, 1988, Special Edition