WILMINGTON — The 41st Annual Clinton County Corn Festival is set for this weekend — Sept. 7, 8 and 9 — at the Clinton County Fairgrounds presented by the Antique Power Club
Help celebrate the area’s agricultural heritage with a three-day extravaganza featuring antique farm machinery, a parade, tractor pull, car show, games, all types of food made from corn, a quilt show, musical entertainment, antiques and crafts.
And of course there’s the annual (in)famous Corn Olympics sponsored by Clinton Memorial Hospital, this year with a Jurassic Park theme and emceed by Jonathan McKay.
Daily admission is $4; children under 12 are free. Weekend passes are $7.
All food vendors are sponsored by local non-profit organizations, and the profits of the Corn Festival is mostly put right back into our community with scholarships and donations.
Last year the Clinton County Corn Festival and the Antique Power Club donated $5,000 to Wilmington Parks & Recreation to support the new water park and skate park.
The 2018 schedule includes:
(Location codes: PCDA: Power Club Demonstration Area; CC: Children’s Corner; SS: Sound Stage; EC: Expo Center; SMB: Sawmill Building; PCB: Power Club Building; RT: Race Track; CS: Car Show Area; PT: Pulling Track)
Friday, Sept. 7
11 a.m.-10 p.m.
11:45 a.m. Flag Raising and Opening Ceremony with WHS Band
Noon: Noon Whistle
1:30 p.m. Working Sawmill with Steam Engine, PCDA
2 p.m. Sawmill in Action, SMB;
2 p.m. Belt-up Contest, PCDA
2 p.m. Beehive Basics, Bees by CF Office
2:30 p.m. Wheat Threshing, PCDA
3 p.m. Straw Baling, PCDA
3 p.m. Hand Crank Contest (tractors), RT
4 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine Fire-Up, PCB
4 p.m. Bucket Fishing for Tweens, SS
4 p.m. Sawmill in Action, SMB
4 p.m. Working Sawmill with Steam Engine, PCDA
4 p.m. Rock Crushing, PCDA
4-8 p.m. Cruise-In (2 free admissions per vehicle), CS
4-5 p.m. Bingo (free) Lambda Chi Alpha Frat with Wilmington College, EC
5:30 p.m. King & Queen Crowning, SS
6 p.m. Antique Tractor Pull Sign-in and Weigh-In, PT
6:30-7:30 p.m. Connection Between Lincoln and Elmer Ellsworth by Gary Kersey, EC
6:30 p.m. Antique Tractor Pull, PT
7 p.m. Weapons Firing with History Account of 48th Co. C OVI Regt, CF Office
7:15 p.m. Gas Pump Jockeys, SS
8 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine, Last Fire-Up of the Day, PCB
Dusk Steam Engine Spark Show, SCDA
Saturday, Sept. 8
9 a.m.-11 p.m.
10 a.m. Downtown Parade (must have a valid license to drive)
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Bushido Dragons, SS
11:30 a.m. Blindfolded Backseat Driver, SS
11:45 a.m. Tractor Pull Sign-Up and Weigh-In, PT
Noon: Noon Whistle
12:30 p.m. Antique Tractor Pull, PT
12:30 p.m. Nail Driving Contest (ages 16 and up) Men & Women, SS
12:30 p.m. SW Ohio Garden Tractor Club Pull (see website for details/rules), PT
1 p.m. Beehive Basics, Bees by CF Office
1 p.m. Sack Tying Contest Men, Women& Tweens, SS
1 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine Fires Up, PCB
1:30 p.m. Cross Cut Saw Contest 2-Person (Ages 16 and up); saws furnished, SS
1:30 p.m. Weapons firing with History Account of 48th CO. C OVI regt., CF Office
1:45 p.m. Working Sawmill with Steam Engine, PCDA
2 p.m. Tractor and Implement Judging Contest Line Up, CS
2 p.m. Wheat Threshing, PCDA
2 p.m. Sawmill in Action, SMB
2-3 p.m. Bingo (free) Lambda Chi Alpha Frat of Wilmington College, EC
2 p.m. Bee Suit Demo, Bees by CF Office
2 p.m. Tug O’ War, Men, Women & Tweens, SS
2:15 p.m. Bucket Fishing for Tweens, SS
2:30 p.m Corn Cob Toss for Tweens, SS
2:45 p.m. 3-Legged Race, Tweens (ages 9-12 & 13-15), SS
3 p.m. Tractor and Implement Judging, CS
3 p.m. Rock Crushing, PCDA
3 p.m. Bee Vacuum Demonstration, Bees by CF Office
3:15 p.m. Pie Eating Contest Men, Women & Tweens, SS
3:30 p.m. Weapons Firing with History Account of 48th Co. C OVI Regt, CF Office
3:30 p.m. Skillet Toss and Rolling Pin Contest, SS
4 p.m. tractor Obstacle Course, PT
4 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine Fires Up, PCB
4 p.m. Sawmill in Action, SMB
4-5 p.m. Bingo (free) Lambda Chi Alpha Frat of Wilmington College, EC
4 p.m. Beehive Basics, Bees by CF Office
4:15 p.m. Egg Toss, Tweens, SSS
4:30 p.m. Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull Sign-Up, RT
4:30 p.m. Leap Frog for Tweens, SS
5 p.m. Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull (Greene Co. FFA Alumni), RT
5 p.m. Little Red Wagon for Tweens, SS
5 p.m. Weapons firing with history account of the 48th Co. C OVI Regt.
5-6 p.m. Lauren Kelly, Vocalist, SS
6-7 p.m. Clinton County Squares, EC
6:15-7:30 p.m. David Wayne, SS
6:30 p.m. Corn Olympics Team Check-in, RT
7 p.m. Corn Olympics sponsored by CMH, RT
8 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse engine, Last fire-up of the day, PCB
8-10 p.m. Bluegrass Ramblers, SS
8-10 p.m. George Brothers, EC
Dusk, Steam Engine Spark Show, RT
Sunday, Sept. 9
9 a.m.-6 p.m. (Gates open 8 a.m.)
9-10 a.m. Worship & Praise, EC
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Antique Car Show registration; judging at 1 p.m., CS
10:30 a.m. Slow Race-Stock Tractors, 1964 and older, rubber tires, RT
11:30 a.m. Wagon Backing, RT
Noon Whistle
Noon, Sawmill in action, SMB
12:15-12:45 p.m., Professor Faris Magic Show, SS
12:30 p.m. Craft Horse Pull registration, Lightweight & Open Class, PT
12:30 p.m. Corn Eating Contest (Men, Women & Tweens), SS
12:30 p.m. Tractor Barrel Roll, RT
1 p.m. Water Balloon Toss (Tweens)
1 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine fires up, PCB
1 p.m. Wheat Threshing, CDA
1 p.m. Draft Horse Pull, PT
1 p.m.Weapons firing with history of 48th CO. C OVI Regt., CF Office
1:30 p.m. Tug-O-War (Ages 16 & over), SS
2 p.m. Spoon Egg Relay and Egg Toss, SS
2 p.m. Beehive Basics, Bees by CF Office
2 p.m. Pedal Tractor Obstacle Course (Ages 16 & over), SS
2:30 p.m. Nail Driving Contest (Ages 16 & over), Men & Women, SS
2:45 p.m. Bale Toss (Men, Women, Tweens), SS
2:45-3:15 p.m. Wilmingtones, EC
3 p.m. Fairbanks-Morse Engine last fire-up, PCB
3 p.m. Weapons firing with history of 48th Co. C OVI Regt, CF Office
3:30 p.m. Skillet Toss, Women (Ages 16 & over), SS
3:30 p.m. Rolling Pin Toss, Men (Ages 16 & older), SS
4 p.m. Raffle drawing for quilts, Q
5 p.m. Event ends
Ongoing events
• Quilt Demonstrations in the Quilt Barn
• Meet the Queen Bee at the Bee Hive by CF Office
• Kiddie Train Rides
• Dr. Tom Stillwell of Wilmington College will display the Crops and Weeds of the World in the Expo Center.
