Cornhole tourney scores record turnout at Momence Glad Fest

Momence, the Gladiolus Festival and cornhole tournament have become an unbeatable threesome.

Glad Fest officials noted the 2025 event produced a record participation level in this year’s tournament held Aug. 10, as 162 players tossed bags.

The 162 figure represented a record number of players, said John Lopez, a Glad Fest organizer and a devoted cornhole player.

In the 2024 Glad Fest, there were 148 participants.

The annual growth has Lopez thinking the 2026 event could bring in as many as 200 players, who are divided into amateur and advanced divisions.

“It just gets bigger and bigger every year,” Lopez said.

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Piper Michl, 16, of Martinton, competes in the cornhole tournament in Momence on Sunday, Aug., 10, 2025. The tournament was the largest of it's kind for the area with 162 participants. (Nicholas Holstein for Shaw Local)

The sport has grown in popularity across the country, and Momence and Kankakee County are no exception, Lopez said.

He said upwards of 80% of the Glad Fest cornhole players are Kankakee County residents. This year’s tournament, which featured 12 sets of cornhole boards, started at 12:30 p.m. and concluded at 5:30 p.m.

Cornhole boards are 33 feet apart when measuring hole to hole.

The Advanced Division championship team claimed a $400 prize while the Amateur Division winning team collected $250.

Cash prizes for second- and third-place finishers were also presented.

Lopez, a Momence resident for at least 25 years, said cornhole has been a part of the Glad Fest for some 20 years.

John Lopez, a Glad Fest organizer of Momence, competes in the cornhole tournament in Momence on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. The tournament was the largest of it's kind for the area with 162 participants. (Nicholas Holstein for Shaw Local)

“That Sunday was an extremely hot day and to have that many people participating was extremely satisfying,” he said. “I’m thinking next year we could have 200 teams. We are already trying to make that happen.”

Entry fees are $10 for amateurs and $20 for advanced.

Lopez noted he has played every year the fest has held a cornhole tournament. He said he didn’t finish in the money this year.

The actual tournament was operated by Tom and Cindy Montemayer of Morocco, Indiana.