If DeKalb-area businesses have their way, Cornfest might be rescheduled or reorganized.

Mary and Gavin Wilson, owners and operators of the Hillside Restaurant, 121 N. Second St., are circulating a petition to have Cornfest reexamined.

The petition states, “It is our contention that the Cornfest, scheduled the week students come back, has adverse effects on the downtown merchants. We as a whole are the constituents that can put enough pressure on the city and Cornfest committee to create a change.”

The petition goes on to say, “We are not opposed to a Cornfest, but perhaps it has gotten ‘too big’. To close off the streets Friday chokes off our ‘bloodline’ to the thousands of potential consumers streaming into town with their children and spending power. This is the one week when they can discover us; they need parking, not corn.”

“We have almost every merchant’s support for this petition, all but three downtown merchants have signed it,” Wilson said.

“We also have support of a few alderman, including the signature of 4th Ward Ald. Rita Tewksbury and verbal support by 3rd Ward Ald. Gary Wiggins,” she said.

The Hillside Restaurant lost thousands of dollars and had their flowers trampled, Wilson said.

“We had to physically remove a man from our restaurant that was vomiting and then he swore at us,” she said. “We should not have to put up with this.”

The merchants and some community people agree the festival needs to be re-evaluated, she said. There are even some complaints from west-end businessmen who think the festival also hurts them.

“We have problems with outside vendors coming into the city who do not pay taxes, and in addition we have heard rumors that they dumped grease into the sewers, which can cause major problems for us,” said Wilson.

There are many problems with having the festival scheduled on this weekend, including all the congestion with students returning to school and having Route 38 blocked off, she said.

The city needs to re-examine this event, the length of the event, the time it is scheduled and what merchants should be invited to participate in the festivities, Wilson said.

Wilson said the petition will be circulated to all city council members.