When it comes to thinking of a location for exhilarating happenings, DeKalb is usually not the first place to come to mind.

However, every year the town puts on Corn Fest— an event its website hails as “one of the last remaining free summer music festivals among Illinois music festivals and summer festivals in Illinois” and also declares it to be “one of the oldest summer music festivals in Illinois.”

Held at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, 3232 Pleasant St., Friday, Saturday and Sunday were reserved for the 33rd annual celebration.

Live music, food, carnival rides and helicopter rides served as entertainment at the festival.

Firehouse, Hi Infidelity and Phil Vassar were the headliners on the sounds stage each night, respectively.

From the 90s rock band Firehouse, the masterminds behind the one-hit-wonder “Love of a Lifetime” to country singer-songwriter Phil Vassar, all 10 musical groups present seemed to be the typical acts that one would find at a festival of this type.

American English, a Beatles cover band and frequent festival entertainers, appeared to be a crowd favorite when they performed Saturday afternoon. Several generations’ worth of attendees seemed to enjoy the music that continues to resonate.

Although Corn Fest’s website boasts that “well over 120,000 people from around Illinois and the Midwest attend the music festival over a three day weekend,” it would hardly seem that that many people actually attend, creating the calm, close-knit feel that one would expect, and even hope for, when attending a public event in DeKalb.

Besides relaxing in the shade while listening to music, as if that would help avoid the humidity that plagued this past weekend, most of the festival’s attendees could be found walking up and down the aisles filled with food vendors.

The types of food available were all staples of festivals: corn dogs, funnel cakes, lemonade, elephant ears and the like seemed to repeat at each vendor, but that did not impede on their taste.

Greasy, over-priced food is a must at any event like Corn Fest and that which was available didn’t offer any excuse to skip out on self-indulgence.

Since the event is called Corn Fest, leaving without buying an ear of sweet, crisp and buttered corn on the cob ought to be considered a crime, especially since the low price of $2 went to go help the Kishwaukee Kiwanis Club. The $15 corn hats, however tempting, on the other hand seemed hardly worth the price.

For all of the Midwest culture and food that Corn Fest offers, a fault could be found in the organization of the event.

The airport provides the perfect setting for such an occasion, but the Craft Fair part of Corn Fest was held at a completely different location: Clinton Rosette Middle School, 650 North First St. It is understandable that such separation needed to occur to keep prices down, but I believe that in the end, it only hurt the Crafters’ profits.

In order to truly see DeKalb and understand why a city of over 45,000 people talks so highly of an annual event circling around corn, it is necessary to attend.

Be sure to check online around this time of year though, considering the advertisement for this tranquil event is sparse.