WETHERSFIELD - The Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce will continue its annual Cornfest legacy, now approaching 29 years in the making, at the Broad Street Green in Old Wethersfield on Saturday, September 21.

       The secret to the event’s longevity?

       â€�"I would probably say the people--they just keep coming,” said Chamber of Commerce Chairman Todd Lamore.

       And they come in droves. Lamore estimates that the Cornfest sees a yearly average of between 6,000 and 7,000 people.

       â€�"I would say the favorite attractions are the food and the rides for the kids,” he said. â€�"We have inflatable rides that seems to be a big draw.”

       Needless to say, a lot of that food will be corn, but that’s not all the event has to offer. A barbeque stand will be supplying the traditional hot dogs, burgers and sausages, while other vendors will be selling fried dough.

       The event will also feature pony rides in a hay wagon, as well as a variety of arts and crafts booths and, for the first time, a pumpkin patch. Cornfest-goers will have the opportunity to not only pick pumpkins, but draw and paint on them as well, according to Lamore.

       The Cornfest will also feature music, mainly in the form of the Wethersfield High School band. Wethersfield-based Simply Swing will also be performing.

       â€�"It’s all local people, local entertainment,” Lamore said.

       Lamore has been involved with planning the Cornfest for the past three years, so he knows that the one-day event is a much longer process.

       â€�"We start our meetings, start getting things together, in November and it usually takes until September to lock everything up.” he said. â€�"It’s just getting all the vendors coming back for the next year, and getting everybody set up in the places they want to be.”