Altoona is gearing up to celebrate its connection to the first acre of commercial hybrid seed corn in the United States by organizing a corn-themed celebration called CORNival. The event will mark the 100th anniversary of the milestone, and the festivities will include a parade of 20 customized 6-foot corncob sculptures across the city. The sculptures will be created by artists hired by the city of Altoona’s Arts and Culture Commission. Interested artists can learn more about submitting their proposals on the city’s website. Businesses can sponsor the event at various levels to help cover the costs of the sculptures and artist honorariums. The celebration will kick off on July 4 with a ribbon-cutting at Haines Park following the Fourth of July parade. More details will be released soon.