This banner will hang on each side of the Gladbrook Corn Carnival Grand Marshal Float honoring the 2022 Grand Marshals: "Gladbrook Citizens - Past and Present". This is the 100th year of celebration of the Corn Carnival. The parade will be held on Friday, June 17, at 6:30 PM in Gladbrook. –Image courtesy of Margaret Thomsen

The Gladbrook Corn Carnival Corporation has named Gladbrook Citizens – Past and Present as Grand Marshalls of the 2022 Gladbrook Corn Carnival Grand Parade. The town is celebrating 100 years of tradition. The parade will take place in Gladbrook on Friday, June 17, at 6:30 PM.

In a statement from Terri Luehring of the Carnival Corporation, she noted, “Knowing that everyone who has lived in the Gladbrook area for a piece of the last 100 years of celebrations was an important part of our 2022 annual celebration, we wanted to honor all of them. Thus the Grand Marshall Float idea evolved.”

Earlier this year pictures were requested from anyone who had ever lived in the Gladbrook area or still lives here. Families were urged to submit photos and photos were taken at various local events throughout the last six months. Those photos will be used as part of the salute to 100 years of Corn Carnival on the Grand Marshal Float in the parade Friday night.

Plans are for the float to be parked somewhere on the main street for the remainder of the evening for everyone to view it up close. Approximately 475 photos are displayed on the float.

Luehring went on to explain, “In the past we have honored groups as Grand Marshalls, such as the ambulance and fire departments, the ’59 and ’60 basketball teams, veterans, etc. This is a much larger group, but still fitting for our 100th celebration.”

The saying is, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The same applies to Corn Carnival where people cooperate to organize the Grand Parade, the Kiddies Parade, the merchant displays, the food stands, the Carnival rides, the church services, and the list goes on.

A bit of trivia information for Corn Carnival includes: 700 pounds of hamburger is served at the food stand; 3,000 cans of beer sell on average at the beer garden; 3500 to 4,000 ears of sweet corn are shucked each year; 1,300 pieces of pie are served on average at the food stand; 50 tractors have traveled 45 to 60 miles in the annual tractor ride; 85 cars and motorcycles travel in the car cruise; and if you wanted to walk the Grand parade route from Peace Church to the end of the route it would take around 1,575 steps.

We each need to take a bit of time to contemplate the changes that have taken place over the course of 100 years. And while we are at it, utter a big “Thank You” to the untold persons of the Gladbrook area who have continually stepped up for a century to continue a memorable tradition of 100 years!