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BLAKESBURG, IOWA -- Members of the community gathered in Blakesburg Saturday for the annual Sweetheart Dinner.

The fundraiser is very popular with the community, being that all the proceeds go towards the town’s annual Corn Carnival celebration, which is over 100 years old.

“With small towns, it is getting more and more difficult to keep these small events going like this,” said Patty Rowland, organizer of the event.

Rowland says that this is all for the kids, being that they enjoy the carnival the most.

“It is really important to the community because it has been around for so long. It is just a really nice tradition in Blakesburg. It is one of the oldest traditions and events in the state of Iowa; and we are really proud of that,” Rowland said. “People look forward to it, and it is really for the kids. I mean, we bring carnivals in, we have bands in the evening and we have a lot of events going on for three days. People really look forward to it.”

Rowland added that the dinner and the carnival would not be possible without the volunteers and the cooperation of the school district, being that the fundraiser would be without a home.

You can find more information on events going on within Blakesburg here.