Strasburg Corn Fest, Ox Roast cancelled
STRASBURG (WJER) (April 20, 2022) – A couple of summertime traditions in the village won’t be returning this year.
Mayor Steve Smith says they decided to call off the Corn Festival that’s typically held the last weekend in July due to a lack of helpers and food vendors.
“We’ve just elected to kind of regroup, try to figure out how we can collectively put a festival on, whether it’s collaborative [between] the fire department and the village or if it’s a private group.”
Council President Jeff Smith talked about the decision at Tuesday’s meeting, saying the festival hasn’t been profitable in years and drains resources that could be utilized elsewhere.
“And the two-week investment the employees put in, and not just the street and water department employees but Jennifer and Vickie and the administrator and the council people putting things together.”
The Strasburg Firefighters Association has also called off the Ox Roast in September, citing similar issues.
“One, lack of help, and two, the cost of beef and everything else,” said Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Zurfley. “With the amount of money that we make off of it, I mean, I don’t know that anybody’s going to buy a container of meat for $60.”
This would have been the 67th year for the Ox Roast, which was held as a drive-thru event last year. The corn festival started in the 1980s. It hasn’t taken place the past two summers because of the COVID threat.