Stake your claim to corn-crunching glory at the main stage in front of Safetyville—one of the loudest, messiest, and most-watched traditions of the North Ridgeville Corn Festival!

Get ready for the crunch heard ’round Safetyville! On Saturday of Corn Festival weekend, we turn the safetyville stage into a corn-eating arena where friends, neighbors, and total strangers show off just how fast they can polish off North Ridgeville’s sweetest ears—this is hands-down one of the most talked-about events we host each year.

To keep things fair (and fun for the whole family) we run four divisions: Youth (5 & under), Junior (6-12), Teen (13-17), and Adult (18 +). If you’ve got an appetite and a little competitive spark, there’s a spot for you—whether you’re a first-timer, a returning champ, or just determined to beat your older brother’s record.

Signing up couldn’t be easier. You can pre-register all day at the Souvenir Booth. Just before the event, you can register at 4:00 PM beside the stage for a $5 donation that goes 100% to North Ridgeville Community Care. When your division is called at or after 4:30 PM, step over to the registration table to receive your number tag. The announcer will call you up to the stage when we’re ready for you. 

Once you take your seat on stage, you’ll receive a briefing on the rules; there are just a few, then 3,2,1 GO! Chow down for three intense minutes. Judges count clean cobs—half-eaten ones count for half—and the suspense builds. Then the whistle blows, you stop, and the judges go to work! 

Winners in each division take home a custom trophy, a festival prize pack, and bragging rights that last all year (plus a photo op with that shiny trophy). Even if you’re not competing, come early for the best view, snap selfies with the mascots, and lend your cheers to the roar that pushes contestants toward those last few kernels.

Whether you leave with a trophy or just buttery fingerprints and great memories, you’ll be part of a North Ridgeville tradition as sweet as corn. See you at Safetyville—bring your appetite!