North Ridgeville kicks off 50th Corn Festival

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The Corn Festival marked 50 years on Friday. The longstanding festival, first founded in the year leading up to the country's bicentennial, celebrated its golden anniversary by awarding two Golden Kernel awards and the mayor honoring a husband and wife who have kept the event going since 1975. John Butkowski, festival president, noted there are not many festivals in the Buckeye State to reach a 50th anniversary and was happy so many visitors came to Friday's opening ceremony to mark the milestone occasion. "We had a very small start, with like 13 booths in six hours on a Saturday to what you have here," the 81-year-old said. "It's really pleasant to see all the smiling faces of all the families that come and enjoy the activities we have here." John Butkowski and his wife, Bernadine, are founding members of the festival. The first Corn Fest was held in 1975 on the track at the former middle school, with a handful of vendors on a Saturday in August. In 1976, coinciding with the country's bicentennial, the festival commemorated Harold Sweet and his namesake farm in the city. Since then, it has grown to a weekend-long event with more than 100 vendors stretching down Bainbridge Road, with South Central Park at the festival's heart. North Ridgeville Mayor Kevin Corcoran commemorated the Butkowskis for their decades of dedication to the festival and the city at large. "The North Ridgeville Corn Festival has grown into one of the city's most anticipated annual events, bringing together generations of families, friends and visitors for a weekend of camaraderie, music, food, entertainment and — of course, delicious sweet corn," Corcoran said. He continued, "John and Bernadine's unwavering dedication to the festival reflects a deeper commitment to our community – their countless hours of volunteer service have created a place where families make lasting memories, neighbors reconnect and new friendships take root, demonstrating their generosity, kindness and passion for North Ridgeville." Alongside the Butkowskis, four of the original festival founders were honored: Ken Buescher, Jeff Sigsworth and Trish Arndt. To commemorate the festival's anniversary, Butkowski presented two Golden Kernel awards this year. The Golden Kernel, which started in 1991, honors North Ridgeville residents who make a significant impact in the community. This year saw a posthumous award presented to Mel and Carolyn Yanik. Carolyn Yanik died in April 2020, her husband died less than a year later. Three of their children, Melanie Heisner, of Gainesville, Georgia; Patti Yanik-Bentley, of Enterprise, Alabama; and Doug Yanik, of San Antonio, Texas; accepted the honor on their parents' behalf. The elder Yaniks were longtime organizers and volunteers with the festival, with Carolyn organizing the annual pageant for more than a decade. The pair helped relocate the festival to its current location on Bainbridge Road and grew the number of vendors. Beyond the fest, the pair were longtime volunteers with St. Peter's Church and School, the Knights of Columbus, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and the city's amateur soccer league. Yanik-Bentley thanked Butkowski and others for her parents' award. "They're looking down on us this weekend, smiling," she said. "The Corn Festival is such an integral part of their lives and our family life and we just hope that you're all able to enjoy the program that's put on by all the hard-working volunteers here this weekend." Bill Noll, a lifelong North Ridgeville resident, received the second Golden Kernel award. Born in his parents' Root Road home just shy of 71 years ago, Noll previously served on City Council and is now on the North Ridgeville Historical Society's executive board where he works to preserve the town's history. That history includes the preservation and repurposing of a 1850s railroad bunkhouse, Butkowski said. "Bill's lifelong dedication to North Ridgeville through leadership, education and preservation has enriched the community in ways that will resonate for generations," Butkowski said. Noll thanked the festival organizers for the award, adding that his father also served as a city councilman and was on the first committee to make North Ridgeville a city. The elder Noll received the Golden Kernel award in 1992. "I have been in politics my whole life," Noll said. "I know what it is, I know what it looks like, I know what the city looked like when I was younger and how we've grown into what it is now … I thank you for this award and I hope you all have a nice time here at the Corn Fest." State Rep. Gayle Manning, R-Avon, presented the Golden Kernel winners with statehouse proclamations, joining local proclamations from Corcoran. John Butkowski also recognized several former Corn Queens in attendance on Friday, including inaugural queen Melanie Heisner (1979). Several of the former royalty came from out of state for the weekend's events, including Debbie Chulick (1985) who flew in from Anchorage, Alaska. The Corn Queen pageant ran from the late '70s to the early '90s. The annual Corn Festival is free and runs through Sunday evening. For more information, including a list of events, visit nrcornfest.org. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.