It's time for that time-honored New York Mills tradition where city and country folks converge on Central Park for an afternoon of fresh, free and tasty sweet corn.
The annual Corn Feed, a community-wide event cele-brating the upcoming harvest, takes place Friday, August 13.
Sponsored by the New York Mills Civic & Commerce Association, the Corn Feed is 4-7 p.m. at the Central Park shelter.
The sweet corn is picked fresh Friday morning and a full pick-up load is hauled to town, where another group of volunteers gather to shuck in time for the feed's start at 4 p.m.
Food vendors
ADVERTISEMENT
Along with free corn for one and all, food vendors from the community will be selling a variety of goods in Central Park.
Vendors include the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary selling fry bread, Mills Lanes is grilling burgers and pork chops on a stick and the Miss New York Mills Pageant royalty is selling hotdogs, tacos in a bag, cotton candy, snow cones, pop and water.
Corn Feed activities
Kids activities in the park include a bounce house, 3-7 p.m., in the park.
A Free Swim Day at the Legried Community Pool from 1-5 p.m.
A carwash by the New York Mills Fire Department will take place from 4-7 p.m.
There will be beer sales outside Mills Liquors, 4-7 p.m.
Puppet Pageant
ADVERTISEMENT
The New York Mills Re-gional Cultural Center will present its Puppet Pageant Friday, August 13 at 6 p.m., featuring stories from the Kalevala.
The Kalevala is a book and epic poem, which Elias L'nnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian folklore in the nineteenth century.
It is held to be the national epic of Finland and is traditionally thought of as one of the most significant works of Finnish literature.
The Kalevala is credited with some of the inspiration for the national awakening that ultimately led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917.
Large-scale puppets will walk Centennial Drive in Mills enacting a drama inspired by the first 10 runes to the Kalevala.
Annie Katsura Rollins, puppet-master, is the artistic director for this event. Annie is a former Jerome Foundation artist-in-residence (2008).
"We are looking for young and old alike to participate in making the Pageant a fun time for the community. If you know of kids and adults who would like to be involved, please send them our way," said Cultural Center Executive Director Jamie Robertson.
Practice has been taking place this week and will continue Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - noon and 1-4 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Cultural Center is still in need of cardboard, fabric scraps, and paper bags for the pageant. Materials may be dropped off at the Cultural Center.
