Gee Family Farms, which is known for its annual celebration of pumpkins in the fall, is launching a new festival that shines the spotlight on a different, beloved and extraordinarily popular vegetable. (Are pumpkins vegetables? Probably not. You get the point.)
The Gee family’s first Sweet Corn Festival is set for 5 to 9 p.m. July 24 and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 25 at the farm, 7651 S. Whitaker Road.
Family activities will feature a hayslide, a hay tunnel, 50 vendors and food trucks, lawn games, a tire mountain, an educational hayride and plenty of roasted sweet corn and elotes. You’ll also enjoy music from Colton Amerson and Nelson McKinney on July 24, and Tex Rex, Grass Daddies, Justin Roberts and Willie Chuck on July 25.
Co-owner Michelle Gee and events coordinator Enjoli DeLeon gave me an advance look at the new festival.
(This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.)
Chip Chandler: So tell me a little bit about the festival and why y’all decided to start it this year.
Michelle Gee: We’ve been growing sweet corn for over 15 years, and last year was the first year that we were able to sell all of our sweet corn exclusively out of our barn. We were just so amazed by that so we decided why not have a festival? I think it’s going to be a most amazing event. There has never been anything in Amarillo like this.
CC: Your sweet corn season officially opens July 10. What is the difference between fresh sweet corn from the farm versus what you can buy at a store?
MG: We use high-quality seed, and we also do not plant it anywhere near field corn, so there’s not any crosspollination. Then we pick early in the morning, and within 12 hours it’s in your hands. After we pick it, we air condition it because if it’s not, that sugar turns to starch and it’s not going to be as sweet anymore. So we are very, very particular about keeping our sweet corn cooled and getting it in your hands as quickly as possible. If you’ve ever had fresh sweet corn, you know it’s really, really good when you can eat it raw, and it tastes like candy. If your corn does not taste like that, then you know that it’s not good corn.
CC: Talk to me a little bit about what’s going to go on at the festival.
Enjoli DeLeon: We really wanted to focus a lot of our attention on education. I feel like the Amarillo area lacks in agricultural education for kids these days. They don’t understand what it takes to move their food that they get at their parents’ table from farm to plate. We are very education focused. For years we’ve brought kids out and taught them about pumpkins and things in the fall, and we felt like it was important to do the same thing with corn, too. We wanted an event that young and old alike can come out and enjoy and have fun.
Admission is $10 in advance, and $12 at the gate for adults, $8 for seniors and veterans, and free for children 3 and younger. Call 806-346-5899.
Jacy Detton: 6 p.m. July 9; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Cameron James Smith: 7 p.m. July 9; Pondaseta, 1001 Second Ave. in Canyon; 806-656-5100
Music in the Gardens featuring Broken Echo: 7 p.m. July 9; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
Mississippi Blues Queen: 7 p.m. July 10; Drunken Oyster, 7606 S.W. 45th Ave.; 806-418-6668
Touching Voodoo: 7 p.m. July 10; Georgia Street Taphouse, 2001 S. Georgia St.; 806-803-7000
Geezers Gone Wild: 7:30 p.m. July 10; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; 806-335-5644
The Obvious Few: 8 p.m. July 10; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Colton Amerson: 8 p.m. July 10; Big Jim’s Pizza Co., 3801 Olsen Blvd., Unit 9; 806-352-5050
Katie Beth & Coyote Rose: 9 p.m. July 10; Western Horseman, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Yellow City Comedy: 9 p.m. July 10; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover $10, plus fees; 806-374-9237
Canyon Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon July 11; continues through Sept. 26; Fourth Avenue and 15th Street in Canyon; 806-567-0746
Sunset Marketown: 8 a.m. to noon July 11; continues through Sept. 19; Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; 806-354-8802
Moos & Brews: 9 a.m. to noon July 11; MC Panhandle Farms, 15116 XIT Trail; 325-514-7425
Colton Amerson: 6 p.m. July 11; Sad Monkey Mercantile, 9800 Texas Highway 217; 800-692-1338
Touching Voodoo: 7:30 p.m. July 11; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; 806-335-5644
Black Sunday Revival: 8 p.m. July 11; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
Katie Beth & Coyote Rose: 8 p.m. July 11; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
The Stray Sons: 8 p.m. July 11; The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon; no cover; 806-804-3000
Clay Gibson: 9 p.m. July 11; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Me Like Bees: 9 p.m. July 11; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Ty Blackburn: 9 p.m. July 11; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; cover $5; 806-412-4251
’90s Trivia Night: 7 p.m. July 13; Pondaseta Brewing Co., 7500 S.W. 45th Ave.; 806-418-6282
High Noon on the Square with Big G & The Tradewinds: 11:45 a.m. July 15; 501 S. Fillmore St.; lunch $12; 806-372-6744
The Band Chandler: 5 p.m. July 16; The Food Park on 25ninety, 13130 Soncy Road; 806-420-05
Bomb-Ass Happy Hour: 6 to 8 p.m. July 16; Bomb City Distillery; 306 S. Cleveland St.; 806-220-2662
Guidi & Friends: 7 p.m. July 16; Georgia Street Taphouse, 2001 S. Georgia St.; 806-803-7000
Music in the Gardens featuring Old Dog Trey: 7 p.m. July 16; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
Summerween with Kenzie Crabtree, Micaela Robinson and Chrissie Dailing: 7 p.m. July 17; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
Tennessee Tuckness & Friends: 7:30 p.m. July 17; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; 806-335-5644
The Buster Bledsoe Band: 9 p.m. July 17; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
The Electric Gypsies: 9 p.m. July 17; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; cover $25 to $45; 806-412-4251
Hot Rod Hillbillies with Rio Grand Trio: 9 p.m. July 17; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Las Fiestas de Amarillo: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 18 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 19; Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1210 S.E. 11th Ave.; 806-372-1128
Next Stop Comedy: 7 p.m. July 18; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover $27; 806-681-4050
Toxic and PriMadonna: 7:30 p.m. July 18; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; cover $20 plus fees in advance, $25 plus fees day of show; 806-335-5644
Casey Berry: 9 p.m. July 18; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
The Obvious Few: 9 p.m. July 18; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; cover $5; 806-412-4251
Summerween Market: 7 p.m. June 19; Idol Art Studio, 1201 S. Polk St.; 806-236-4128
Brandon Trey Borup: 6 p.m. June 21; 575 Pizzeria, 2803 Civic Circle; 806-322-5575
Wibby Wednesday with Piles of Potential: 7 p.m. July 22; Six Car Pub & Brewery, 625 S. Polk St.; 806-576-3396
Colton Amerson: 7 p.m. July 23; Georgia Street Taphouse, 2001 S. Georgia St.; 806-803-7000
Music in the Gardens featuring The Solano Project: 7 p.m. July 23; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
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