Grundy County Corn Festival returns the weekend of Sept. 27th

The Grundy County Corn Festival brings with it too many events to Downtown Morris to keep track of, which is why organizers had a phone app created to keep track of everything.

The original organizers 74 Corn Festivals ago probably didn’t anticipate the festival ever growing that large, but this year’s event returns larger than ever.

It all kicks off with a petting zoo starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the corner of Franklin and Main streets, along with pony rides beginning at 11 a.m. The live shows continue from there, with the EXibit Art Gallery hosting an art and photo show at 4 p.m. and Jason Kollum performing at 5:30 p.m. in the Sheriff’s Department Parking lot.

At 6:30 p.m., The Jackson Street Stage will be home to the Talent show.

The petting zoo and pony rides continue through the week, but Thursday brings more live performers like the Grundy County Dancers on the Jackson Street Stage and the Morris Community High School Band and Choir to the event tent in the 100 block of Wauponsee Street.

More life performances continue Friday, with Pro Kids performing in the Sheriff’s Department Parking lot and Doug’s Dancers taking over the Jackson Street Stage. Mariachi Perla de Mexico will perform at 9:30 p.m. on the Jackson Street Stage while Libido Funk Circus will perform at the South Stage.

Things start a little earlier at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the Antique Tractor and Farm Machinery show taking place all day at Old National Bank, 1111 Route 6.

Saturday is a busy day jam-packed full of events, with the Kiddie Parade beginning at 1 p.m. before more live performances, which includes karaoke at the South Stage and a demonstration from Chang Lee’s TaeKwanDo at the Jackson Street State. Capping off Saturday is Sparks Fly, the Taylor Swift Experience from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. with a fireworks show taking place at about 8:30 p.m. Nate Venturelli will also be performing at 9 p.m. at the South Stage.

The final day of the Corn Festival takes place Sunday, with many of the prior events like the tractor and farm machinery show, petting zoo and pony rides still on going while new live performances like the Broadway Dancers and Jesse White Tumblers perform at 12:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Liberty Street.

That’s just the events: There’s the scavenger hunt that begins Wednesday and the Scarecrow Stroll at Chapin Park, along with First United Methodist Church’s Rootbeer Garden from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Water Fights also take place Wednesday in the 100 block of West Washington Street. There’s also the Morris Hospital 5K run at 9 a.m. on Saturday and a Corhole tournament at 12 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Wauponsee Street.

This is not a comprehensive list, and more information can be found either at cornfestival.org or by going to the App Store for iPhone or the Google Play Store for Android and searching for Grundy County Corn Festival. A full schedule that includes all the entertainment, food choices and locations for everything can be found there.