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Double the fun for foodies

By Dan Craft
dcraft@pantagraph.com

Food, glorious food, will be filling the streets of both uptown Normal and downtown Bloomington this weekend as two late-summer fetes -- one a longtime favorite, the other a newcomer -- vie for our taste buds.

And not only our taste buds, but also our eardrums.

In addition to the edibles, some of the area's most popular bands and entertainers will be providing the theme music for each event.

Following are previews of each.

Sweet Corn Blues Festival

The longtime favorite, of course, is uptown Normal's Sweet Corn Blues Festival, returning for its 19th year.

It will be bringing with it its annual tonnage of freshly harvested corn from the Del Monte plant in Mendota (or, roughly speaking, 50,000 ears).

The $64,000 question, of course: Will the ongoing construction projects that re-routed part of the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in July do the same to Sweet Corn Blues on Saturday and Sunday?

In a word: Nope.

That, according to Nora Dukowitz, uptown Normal marketing director.

"It will look really just like it has in past years," she promises. "It will start and end in the same place. The stage will be in the same place. Everything will be exactly the same."

The reason for that: This festival occupies a smaller section of the uptown area, she says. And that area is presently not being affected by the assorted construction projects.

"The festival typically ends (on North Street) at the old Babbitt's bookstore location, and there's not much happening around there now," Dukowitz says.

Even so, "we acknowledge that people will still have concerns over parking, and whether it's valid or not."

For those who want to skip the hassle, she says the easiest way out is to catch the free shuttle that will operate both days, a la the one for the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in July.

Pick-up point is the Chiddix Junior High School parking lot at 300 S. Walnut St.; drop-off point is the festival's east end. The hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For those willing to vie for a parking place, Dukowitz says the best bets are: the Parkinson parking lot near the Amtrak station; the lot just east of Constitution Trail, which was recently expanded and resurfaced; and the lot adjacent to the Children's Discovery Museum, also recently reopened.

Beyond the parking situation, she adds, "it really will be business as usual this year."

That business will include the annual offerings of corn cooked fresh over an antique steam engine and sold for 25 cents an ear. For those wanting to do it themselves, ears also be sold by the unhusked/uncooked dozen for $2.

Merchant sidewalk sales, a flea market and other food vendors will dot the sidewalks.

And manning the entertainment stage will be a full slate of entertainment.

On Saturday, the lineup includes: Sugar Creek Cloggers, 10:30 a.m.; Gamma Phi Circus, 11:30 a.m.; Steve "The Harp," 1 p.m.; Delta Kings, 3 p.m.; and Kilborn Alley, 5 p.m.

On Sunday: Barb Hamilton, 11 a.m.; 6V6, 1 p.m.; and Billy Galt & The Blues Deacons, 3 p.m.

Hot August Nights

The newbie event, from 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday on the downtown Bloomington square, also will be fusing food and music.

For the gastronomically inclined, the Pantagraph's Hot August Nights will serve up "A Taste of Downtown Bloomington" via food booths from a bevy of downtown eateries.

Among those committed as of press time: Central Station, Lancaster's, Reality Bites, Rosie's Pub, Kelly's Bakery & Cafe, Maggie Miley's, Elroy's/Killarney's, Corn Palace, Grand Café, La Gondola, Rhino's, Alexander's, Duffy Mc-

Kaw's and Michael's.

Several more may be added to that roster come Saturday, says Tricia Stiller of the Downtown Bloomington Association.

Meanwhile, for those craving sounds, a trio of popular local bands will hold forth on the entertainment stage: Sister Groove, 2 to 5 p.m.; Jury's Out, 6 to 8 p.m.; and Bottle of Justus, 9 to 11 p.m.

Also on tap will be a beer tent.

The genesis for the first-time event, says Stiller, began on a somewhat smaller scale: as a block party to celebrate the fifth anniversary of downtown merchant Glitterati.

"People started to hear about it, and there was a buzz about a downtown party," she says.

Within six weeks, the buzz inspired the Downtown Bloomington Association to super-size the block party into a full-blown festival on the downtown square.

Accordingly, anticipated attendance expanded (around 5,000).

"It became a chance to highlight some of our fine restaurants downtown," Stiller adds.

Instead of competing with the Sweet Corn Blues Festival in Normal, she thinks both food fests can nourish each other, with Twin Citians hopefully making a gastronomic weekend of it, venturing to one or both on Saturday (the corn fest has Sunday to itself).

In addition, she notes, Hot August Nights is just part of downtown Bloomington's slate of Saturday offerings.

The day begins, per summer tradition, with the Farmers Market in the morning and picks up steam with another new event, the McLean County India Association's daylong India Fest, based at the McLean County Museum of History.

"We want folks to get into downtown, and hope they'll make a day of it," Stiller says.

At a glance

What: Sweet Corn Blues Festival

When: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to sellout (around 4 p.m.) Sunday

Where: North Street in uptown Normal

Cost: Free admission

Information number: (309) 343-9557

At a glance

What: Pantagraph presents Hot August Nights

When: 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday

Where: Downtown Bloomington square

Cost: Free admission

Information: (309) 829-9599

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Madison Riley of Heyworth was among those getting an earful at last year's Sweet Corn Blues Festival in uptown Normal. (Pantagraph/LORI ANN COOK)

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