Events & Programs

Sweet Corn Serenade

Oskaloosa Main Street's annual Sweet Corn Serenade brings 3,000 people to downtown Oskaloosa for fresh-cooked sweet corn and live music. This year's festival will happen July 27 from 12-9 PM, and will include a craft and vendor fair, food trucks, children's activities, and more! Sweet Corn Serenade will take place in Oskaloosa's City Square Park. The rain location is Penn Central Mall.

More 2023 Information Coming Soon!

Craft + Vendor Fair

2023 Craft + Vendor Fair Registration

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to make this year's event a success! Looking to join?

Coloring Contest!

Children's coloring contest is back! Age divisions are 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14. Prizes will be awarded to winners and available for pick up at the Chamber office. Entries are due by 5 PM on Monday, July 25 to the Chamber office. Click here to download the coloring sheet. Submit to the Mahaska Chamber office or Mahaska Drug by 5 PM on Monday, July 24.

Let's Eat!

Burgers, Sweet Corn, Pie, & Drinks will be served from 4:00 p.m. until it runs out.
Costs:
    - Meal with Pie (hamburger, corn, pie, drink) - $10.00
    - Meal (hamburger, corn, drink) - $8.00
    - Hamburger only - $6.00
    - Corn only - $1.00
    - Drink only - $1.00
    - Pie only - $2.00
Hamburgers grilled by Mahaska County Cattlemen's Association.
Pie options: Apple, Dutch Apple, Cherry, & Peach
Drink options: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mt. Dew, Root Beer, & Bottled Water

Food Vendors will be set up around the Square
    - Barnyard Tenderloin Express - fresh, hand-breaded tenderloins and sides
    - Grubby's Kettle Korn - kettle corn & bottled soft drinks
    - Fat Cow Creamery - frozen custard, milkshakes, cow pies, stampedes, custard cookie, cones
    - Sno Biz - shaved ice & frozen treats
    - The Tipsy Traveler's - mocktails
    - Rural Revival - coffee, chai, smoothies, lemonade
    - La Delicia - tacos, burritos, quesadillas, corn in a cup
    - Tacos Jalisco - cotton candy only

Musical Entertainment

4:30-7:30 PM - Royce Johns

8:00-9:00 PM - Oskaloosa City Band

Oskaloosa City Band

For the Kids

farm bureau logo
Farm Bureau's Activity Zone, open 5-8 PM
Ag in the Classroom table
Petting Zoo
Face painting
Iowa Corn trailer
NRCS Soil Tunnel
Van Wall Equipment
Corn Pit
Photo (face cut-out) Board
Count the Corn Scavenger Hunt in downtown businesses
Red Rock Threshers Tractor Wagon Rides

Funny Car from Funny Car Chaos/Eddyville Raceway Park - available all day
Located on High Avenue. They will be handing out kids' tickets for the Funny Car Chaos event at ERP and letting kids sit in the car

Ohana Pedal Pull - register at 5:30 PM, starts at 6:00 PM.
Located on High Avenue. Open to any child age 4-11, will follow state sanctions.

StoryWalk® provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Mahaska County (in park)
Go on a short walk and read "Up, Down, & Around" by Katherine Ayers between 5-8 PM.

Red Rock Threshers Tractor Teeter Totter - available 5-8 PM
Located on High Avenue near Courthouse. Can they do it?! Local tractor enthusiasts will try to get their tractors to balance on the teeter totter - this one is a crowd pleaser!

Red Rock Threshers Tractor Wagon Rides - available 5-8 PM
Take a unique ride down High Avenue East in a wagon pulled by a tractor! Line will form between the Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center (alley). Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Coloring Area - available all day (in park)

4-H Working Exhibit - 6:00-7:00 PM (in park)
Visit the Working Exhibit booth in the park, provided by Mahaska County 4-H members, to complete a hands-on activity.

For the Adults

Map of Event

Parking

High Avenue East, South 1st Street, and 1st Avenue East surrounding City Square Park will be closed for event activities. Street parking will be available along South Market Street, in the Penn Central Mall parking lots, nearby street parking (including 1st Avenue East between True Value & MidWestOne Bank and farther east - this is the best option for handicap parking making it less than half a block from the stage and food), and in the American Legion Post 34 parking lot. Please be aware of local street projects that may cause temporary street closures in the area.

Creative Stations & Other Main Street District Happenings

Stop into Brushed by Jude (116 1st Avenue East) and C & R Treasures (201 High Avenue East) to check out their specials and Creative Stations during Sweet Corn Serenade!

Brushed by Jude will have local Illustrator, Joe Hox, available for book signings of his latest illustrated book, "My Family's Corn Farm" by Katie Olthoff from Noon-3:00 PM. FREE
Brushed by Jude will have Jill Edwards, Renegade Rags, available from 4-6 PM for a Boho Necklace Class. SMALL FEE
Brushed by Jude will have Linda Hynick, The Soap Chic, available for Q&A from 5:30-7:00 PM. FREE
C & R Treasures will offer sales and a paper corn cob craft for kiddos. FREE
United Way of Mahaska County will offer a 9-square game in City Square Park (northeast corner lawn) from noon-7:00 PM. FREE
Oskaloosa Community Theatre will offer "Murder at the 1980s Prom" at the Oskaloosa Art Center (115 1st Avenue West). Join the Oskaloosa High class of 1987 for their prom! The hair is big, the dresses are puffy, and the social hierarchy is the stuff John Hughes movies are made of. The big moment of the night - the announcement of the prom king and queen - is at hand, but the nominees for prom king are nowhere to be found! Test your deductive reasoning during this murder mystery investigation as you search to find the suspect who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit the Murder at the 1980s Prom! Call 641-672-0799 for more information or to purchase tickets. $10.00 FEE

Thank you to the following businesses for donating supplies & prizes:

Brown's Shoe Fit - Oskaloosa
Culver's - Pella
Fareway - Oskaloosa
Hy-Vee - Oskaloosa
mahaska - Oskaloosa
Sno Biz - Oskaloosa

Ohana Pedal Pull Sponsors:

Corteva

Duracrop

Farm Credit Services of America

McKim Tractor Service

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imagination blocks

teeter totter

coloring wall

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