NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — The annual Sweet Corn Circus Festival brings people from around the state to celebrate the town’s rich arts and farming history.
Over 24,000 people attended last weekend, 6,000 more than the year before, allowing business in Normal to blossom.
“They’re stopping in the restaurants in Uptown. They’re buying gas. They might be staying in a hotel. And Governor Pritzker recently said that for every dollar we spend on a visitor, we see as much as six or $7 back in return,” said Beth Whisman, director of cultural arts for the Town of Normal.
Every year, $30,000 is budgeted for events like the Sweet Corn Circus every year. During the festival, they sell ears of corn for $1. They had about 32,000 ears this year, and doing the math, they make back all of the money for the entire year, in just one event.
“That’s every single concert, every single activity, every single event, everything that the town does to bring people together, to celebrate our history, our heritage, our culture,” she said.
Any dollars that come in after the money they spend come in as cost recovery and will fund future things for the town. Wisman said that investing in visitors and residents is the most important thing you can do.
“When you invest in visitors, when you invest in your citizens and you’re investing in your heritage and just having fun together, it builds community, and that’s invaluable,” she said.
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