Not your typical festival: At Corn Bred Cornbread, you can be 'unapologetically corny'

A festival created by teens for teens is returning to Des Moines' Riverview Park this Saturday.

Presented by Hip-Hope Inc. , the second annual Iowa Corn Bred Cornbread Festival seeks to spotlight the local nonprofit's youth participants who have become leaders, entrepreneurs and artists through the organization's programs. Hip-Hope Inc. is based in West Des Moines and offers educational resources for young people to learn money management, explore various careers or develop their music and arts talent.

A handful of youth who spoke to the Des Moines Register say they have been working hard for weeks, trying to figure out the logistics to make sure the family-friendly festival runs smoothly and that they are well-prepared to provide fun, food and entertainment.

Here's what you need to know about the event:

What's the story behind the name?

Hip-Hope Inc. Founder and Executive Director Bo James said the idea — and the name — came out of a conversation with youth participants who joked around about how "saying 'I'm from Iowa' sounded too corny." They even wrote a song about it but found a way to play with the words and be prideful of their home state, he said.

"They were like: 'What's a cool way to say you're from Iowa?'" James told the Register. "'Just be like: 'You're corn bred . This is the corn state. … You're born in the corn."

Tagged as a place where people can be "unapologetically corny," Corn Bred Cornbread is geared toward celebrating Iowa and its culture, uniting families from the state's urban and rural communities, the festival's official site said.

The festival's name is also focused on spotlighting Hip-Hope's youth participants, some of whom are using the event as a way to promote their own businesses, build a customer base, test their products and make some cash. Hence, James says, the other meaning to Cornbread — emphasis on bread .

Take 16-year-old Hip-Hope leader KeShaughn Hawkins, for example. Hawkins, a home baker and event newcomer, is taking his skills to the stands and selling loaves and slices of banana bread and banana muffins. Returning vendors include 15-year-old Ne'Ala James, who will be selling anklets, bracelets and body chains, and 11-year-old twins Gabrielle and Abigail George, who run AbgT Shop chock full of various apparel.

Ne'Ala James said she earned $500 off her custom jewelry line at last year's inaugural Cornbread and looks forward to hopefully making more at Saturday's event.

"I like running my booth with my family, and the money. And, I enjoy making jewelry in general," she said, adding her body chains are her most popular pieces and the perfect accessory for any summer outfit.

What else is happening at Cornbread?

The Cornbread Festival includes more than 30 acts, pulling in musicians and performances mostly from the Des Moines metro, and about 10 to 15 food vendors, said Hawkins, who along with Ne'Ala James and the George twins helped organize the event. CJ Jackson, a Chinese Michael Jackson impersonator and TikTok influencer, with more than 9 million followers, is scheduled to be this year's headliner.

Bo James also credited Emmett Phillips, who oversees Oakridge Neighborhood's free teen tech center , for curating the lineup of local singers and rappers and setting up a booth where youth attendees can play around with some of the center's featured technology such as laser cutters.

Other partnered organizations such as Creative Visions will have a dunk tank, while the IowaWORKS Mobile Workforce Center will be on hand, offering job applications for different employment opportunities.

What else do I need to know?

Cornbread Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Riverview Park, 710 Corning Ave. in Des Moines. For more information about the event, visit cornbreadiowa.com or on social media.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa .

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Not your typical festival: At Corn Bred Cornbread, you can be 'unapologetically corny'