Schumaker Farms Sweet Corn Festival is Aug. 9-10

Sweet corn season is in full swing at Schumaker Farms, and the family has come up with a new way to share their crop with the public.

The first Schumaker Farms Sweet Corn Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm is located at 52441 County Road 16 in West Lafayette.

The community is invited to a weekend full of food and down-home fun for the whole family. Admission is $5 per person, and kids age 2 and under are free.

“We’ve been wanting to do something different like this for a long time,” Jim Schumaker said.

According to Schumaker’s wife Wendy, their best corn of the season is being picked right now.

“People can purchase corn and other produce at the festival and enjoy some roasted corn right here,” Wendy Schumaker said.

The menu for the festival includes fresh-roasted Schumaker Farms sweet corn, barbecued chicken on Saturday, ribs on Sunday, hot dogs, coney dogs, pulled pork, Schumaker’s cheesy potatoes, fresh-cut fries, kettle corn and more. Along with yummy food, there will be antique tractors, farm animals to visit, a corn maze and a straw maze, giant slides, games, a hamster wheel, and hay rides.

“Everyone does fall events, so we decided to do something around our corn,” said Chad Schumaker, who helps his parents with the farm. “There will be plenty of food along with the roasted corn, and you can take hay rides out to the field.”

The Schumakers have 14 acres of sweet corn, and it is picked by hand at least one time a day, gathering 100-300 dozen ears per day.

“We’ve tried different varieties over the years,” Jim Schumaker said. “People ask what we grow, but we won’t tell.”