This Sunday, October 4th, the 2026 Illinois State Cornhusking Contest is set to take place outside Monmouth southeast of Farm King at the intersection of U.S. Highway 67 and 210th Avenue. Registration begins at 8 am, followed by the start of the contest at 9 am, where the top three contestants in each class qualify for the national contest, explains Richard Humes:
“We are going to start with the youth class, girls and boys, 10 to 14 and then 15 to 20. Then we will move onto the senior women class which is 75 and up and then the senior men 75 and up. Then it will be the women’s 21 to 49 and men’s 21 to 49. Then women’s 50 and up and men’s 50 and up. Then it will be the women’s open, which will be a longer class, and then the men’s,” shares Humes.
“Depending on how many Pee Wee show up, how many young kids show up, the length of time, but it should start at 12:30 pm,” Humes adds.
An Illinois Membership is required to pick in the classes to qualify for the national cornhusking contest, which will be held in Marshall, Missouri.
