Garrett Simmons

Well, it was certainly a busy and productive 2010 Taber Cornfest.
I had the pleasure of participating in a wide variety of events, and took in the better part of four straight days of excitement.
It all started out with Thursday night’s midway and mixed martial arts fight. It never ceases to amaze me how much kids enjoy the midway. From the little tykes who are thrilled at the simple rides, to the teenagers who flood the grounds, it’s certainly a magical time when the carnival folk roll into town every August. Maybe the fact school was starting right after Cornfest this year gave local youngsters extra encouragement to go out in style.
The mixed martial arts fights were also a huge hit. The arena was absolutely packed, and proved Taber can support such events, just like the boxing card did last year. It certainly didn’t hurt there were a number of Taber and Lethbridge fighters on hand to draw a number of fans. I’m not the biggest fan of MMA — I thought the night ranged from resembling human cockfights, where bloodied and battered fighters staggered about the cage, from some very compelling moments (Hacksaw Blacquier’s win was huge) to a dull main event, as both fighters spent the better part of all three rounds grappling on the mat.
In the end, it appears the Thursday-night fights are hear to stay, and hopefully another card can be scheduled for 2011.
Friday was one of my busiest days, as the Taber Times Chili Done Right Team took a solid second-place finish among a 17-team field. Not to give too much away, but one secret, albeit not much of a secret, is to use Taber corn, straight off the cob, not the canned variety.
The Terry Fox Wax-off, where I bravely lost two strips of leg hair, raised nearly $5,000 for the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. The local committee has come up with a host of creative fundraisers over the year, and has gone above and beyond the call of duty in raising its fair share of funds for cancer research. As for the wax-off, a tip of the hat goes to the souls much braver than I, the guys who have chest hair, back hair, arm pits and even eyebrows waxed off. That’s gotta  hurt.
Saturday I took part in the annual corn-tasting competition. Amazingly, 16 entries were submitted. With the cold, wet spring and cooler-than-usual summer, it was expected entries for the contest would be way down. Organizer Toshi Miyanaga expected just four or five entries. But in the end, entries flooded in, and I got more than my fill of Taber corn. Congratulations to Molnar Farms and its visions variety — it always seems to find its way into the top three every year. It should be noted, however, all 16 varieties had their solid points, and represented the Taber area well in the contest.
Saturday turned into a decent day weather wise, except for the cooler temperatures for the fireworks, which proved to be top notch. It was quite a sight to see two fireworks shows going on at the same time from different locations.
Then of course, there was Sunday, a disappointing day weather wise that didn’t stop any of the planned events from going forward. Worshippers packed the Taber Community Centre auditorium Sunday morning for the community worship service, while out at the Agri-Plex grounds, lawnmower racers and car-demolition competitors braved the conditions.
All in all, it made for a jam-packed weekend, perhaps one of the busiest Cornfest celebrations ever. With the show and shine, which seemed to go on for miles, kids activities in the park and top-notch stage entertainment, there was certainly something for everyone. Locals need to say thank you to all the volunteers, and the many sponsors, who once again helped pull off a great celebration.
Taber should certainly be proud.