2024 Parade Marshals

2024 parade marshals John and Nellie Peck! John and Nellie were chosen this year due to their YEARS of Community Service and involvement. They have been roasting Cornfest corn for 50 years and helped run the beer tent in the early days downtown.
John and Nellie have lived here all their lives. They have been married for 49 years, have 3 grown children, and a plethora of animals.
John was a fire department volunteer for 46 years and a rescue driver for 35 years. John’s favorite memories were of playing in the Fire Department softball team both in the Darien leagues as well as the Cornfest tournaments. John also volunteers as part of the Darien cemetery cleanup committee. Following retirement, he began mowing lawns for the village of Darien.
Nellie was an EMT for Darien for 35 years. She was instrumental in building the blood drive to what it is now with the help of fellow volunteers. She also volunteers at the town voting polls and coached girls’ softball teams in Darien. Nellie’s favorite memories include helping deliver 2 babies.
Much of their time now is spent tending their farmette, gardening, canning, hunting, crafting, and rebuilding their garage. They also like to pull vicious pranks on their sweet innocent neighbors. They both have a way of making life fun.
When asked what they want to convey, they asked for people to get out and volunteer. Everyone is busy and it’s easy to fall into your everyday routine but it’s so important for the community. You need to take the good with the bad. Even after the toughest day in the Fire Department and Rescue, the team was there for each other and would always call and help each other through it. After a long work week, they
didn’t always feel like roasting corn; but they appreciate the benefits that come from it such as the fire department equipment, park improvements, community fireworks, etc.
Thank you, John and Nellie, for all you do!

Come Sit in da New Giant Chair

Corn Fest has a new HUGE chair! Chalcie Vance, a local Darien resident came up with the idea and hand painted it all by herself. She wanted to show same of the highlights of Corn Fest as the Fireworks and of course corn stalks with plenty of ears of sweet corn.

Also, she painted the landscape of Darien with farms and grain bins in the background on the front of the chair and giant ears of corn for the side legs of the chair!

Can’t wait to sit in it!