SUGAR GROVE – Dave Marcinkiewicz liked what he tasted as he bit into an ear of corn Friday at the Sugar Grove Corn Boil.

“The corn is pretty good,” Marcinkiewicz said. “It’s hot and fresh, and very sweet.”

There will be plenty of corn on hand at the 48th annual Sugar Grove Corn Boil, which opened Friday and runs through Sunday at Volunteer Park, which is west of Route 47, behind John Shields Elementary School.

During Friday’s opening ceremonies, the late Bob Bohler was named the 2015 Sugar Grove Citizen of the Year posthumously.

Bohler, a Sugar Grove village trustee for 18 years, died in April at age 64 after battling cancer.

He also was past president of the Sugar Grove Lions Club and organized the Sugar Grove Corn Boil’s annual fireworks show. The Bob Bohler memorial fireworks show will take place at 9:30 p.m. tonight.

Presenting the award were Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels and Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sally McClellan.

“He was very committed to the village and his family,” Michels said.

Bohler’s wife, Sandy, thanked the village for the honor.

“I know he is looking down on us and feeling very proud,” she said.

The award has been presented every year since 1998 by the village and the chamber to recognize individuals or groups that help the village grow and prosper.

Also presented Friday night were the 2015 Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce and Industry Scholarships. Michelle McCraken, Alexis Lund and Nicole McClellan received $500 scholarships.

All three will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Vietnam War veterans were also honored at the festival to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the war. Among those speaking during Friday’s ceremony was U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Plano.

“You are our heroes,” Hultgren said.

Saturday's activities will start with a 5K run at 7:30 a.m. A full schedule of festival activities is at the Sugar Grove Corn Boil's website, www.sugargrovecornboil.org.

More online

Go to KCChronicle.com to watch videos from Friday’s Sugar Grove Corn Boil.