Published: July 04, 2009 11:27 pm      

Fair to feature cornhole tournament

OAKWOOD — Not to miss out on the current popularity of Cornhole, a tournament will take place at this year’s Vermilion County Fair.

Allen Peeler, organizer of the Great American Beer Arena for the fair, intends for this to be the first Cornhole Tournament at the fair.

Peeler initially wasn’t as familiar with the game, but listening to his daughter and other people and seeing Katie and Darren White’s advertisement for their business KDBAGZ in the Commercial-News, he wanted to include it as part of the fair’s entertainment.

The bracket tournament will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9 at the fairgrounds, off U.S. Route 150 west of Danville. Registration will start Tuesday and conclude at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The Vermilion County Fair and Expo runs from Tuesday through Saturday.

The cost to enter the Cornhole tournament is $20 for a two-person team.

Prizes will be $250 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.

The Whites said this was the first time they’d been approached to sponsor a local tournament.

There also will be a raffle for sets of Cornhole platforms/boxes built by Darren White.

Peeler hopes the tournament will be a big hit with fairgoers.

Peeler also has recently bought his own pair of Cornhole platforms with Illini corn bags from the Whites.

He enjoys playing the game in his backyard.

“I throw and pray,” he said of his special throwing skills.