28th Annual Corn Boil Rod Run • 2003

For 28 years now the Space Coast Street Rods, located on the central east coast of Florida, mainly around the Melbourne area, have been putting on a 4th of July weekend show called the Corn Boil Rod Run. No one seems to remember just how long they’ve been serving food, bit it’s been a long time!

One of the unique ideas behind this show is the lunch the Space Coast Street Rods provide as part of the entry fee. For your $25 pre-registration not only do you get your usual goody bag, dash plaque, a great mug and so on, but also two meal tickets are included. Each ticket gets you one very large bar-b-que pork sandwich, two big ears of corn (the show’s namesake, of course), and two cold drinks. And if you arrived Friday night at the host hotel for the dance and kick-off party you were treated to all the hot dogs you could eat, all the soda you could drink, flame thrower contest, creeper race, a chance to win a small block Chevy aluminum manifold or Holley 4-barrel carburetor.

Ron and Lois Dixon invited Cruise News for a behind the scene look at what it takes to make a successful Corn Boil. Ron is the president of the Space Coast Street Rods, and his wife Lois is the secretary and treasures. Talk about family unity. Plus if that’s not togetherness, they work together in the family electrical business in Melbourne, Florida. Ron is the man in charge of the 42 couple club, which elects a new president every two years. A new person will take over this January.

Planning of the 29th Corn Boil starts in November of each year with the reserving of the Wickham Park Pavilion on the campus of the Brevard Community College, which is an ideal area for a rod run. Lots of open, shaded space, a large covered pavilion, restrooms, beautiful mowed fields, paved parking lots for the viewing public, and all this right on a four lane highway for easy access. This was the 15th year for the show at Wickham Park; before that it was held at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral.

This year’s event drew 246 vehicle entries, and an uncountable number of car enthusiasts who are invited to just walk in and enjoy the cars, while Reelin n’ Rockin provided the musical entertainment. Games were held for big kids and little kids alike, including slow drags, a poker walk with a $50 prize, plus one little kid happily won a push scooter. A raffle was also held, with the prize being a 350 Chevy crate motor! The rain moved in at about noon and continued for an hour or so, but that did not spoil the show as not one car left. After a quick chamois session things were back up to speed, barely missing a beat.

Ron and Lois gave us some interesting statistics about the food at the show. The club had to order 300 pounds of pork (enough for 600 sandwiches), 660 buns, and on the spot cook 30 bushels of corn. The crowd went through 14 pounds of butter, and 14 pounds of Oleo. To wash it all down was 1,600 cans of soda and bottled water, plus in case you were still hungry there were 12 delicious watermelons for desert.

The Space Coast Street Rods should once again be congratulated for another fine Corn Boil, and a special thanks to Ron and Lois Dixon for their helpful info and hard work. CN