MONTGOMERY FARMS is normally filled with beautiful brides and wedding guests. But this summer, it will host a festival celebrating delicious sweet corn and benefiting families with special needs.
On July 28, the festival is open to the public and will raise money to support the July 29 Special Abilities Barnyard Bash, which is specifically for families with special needs.
Dallas Montgomery, who owns and runs Montgomery Farms with his sister, Mandi Bieda, said they wanted to give back to the community by offering this event to the public. Because the surrounding areas in Southern Indiana have a high incidence of children with special needs, they wanted to give that population a way to enjoy a festival just for them while offering fun and helpful information for parents and caregivers.
Montgomery Farms was an agri-entertainment business for many years, but it now hosts weddings and events. Before those weddings, though, the farm was known for its sweet corn. So, the family decided to host a Sweet Corn Festival, which also gave them an excuse to plant corn again. “Even today, we still get calls asking if we have sweet corn, although we haven’t grown it for years,” he said with a laugh. “We were known for sweet corn, so we just planted our own sweet corn. And it’s starting to come up!”
There will be sweet corn for sale, as well as a sweet corn grilling station, cornhole, a petting zoo with 100 animals, a sweet corn eating contest, food trucks, zip lines, a mechanical bull, a beer garden, bounce houses, vendor booths, carnival games, live music and more.
At the Special Needs Barnyard Bash, there will be a petting zoo, haircuts, a special needs dance team performance, vacation and financial planning services, medical equipment resources, a movie screening, police car and fire truck to play in, 3D interactive games, karaoke and more.
Montgomery said for the first year, the money raised from the event will support the free event on Sunday, but in the future, he and Bieda hope to raise more money from proceeds and sponsorships to donate to local charities for people with special needs. And with 40 acres of land, there is plenty of room to grow.
Admission and parking are free, and each activity, food and drink will have its own cost. The Barnyard Bash will be free for all special needs families and caregivers.
“It’s a fun event for a great cause,” Montgomery said.
Sweet Corn Festival
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 28
MONTGOMERY FARMS
1122 E. Radio Tower Road in Underwood
Free to attend. Cost is per activity.
Facebook.com/montgomeryfarmssweetcornfestival
317.679.8229
