World cornhole championships coming to the Bradenton area in 2021
The world’s best cornhole players will be in Manatee County in March and July of 2021, competing for bragging rights as world champion.
The Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto, will host the American Cornhole Organization Major Tournament March 5-7 and the World Championships of Cornhole July 26-31.
ACO majors are usually two-day events and are the main points-earning tournaments for each season to qualify for Worlds in July, according to the American Cornhole Organization website.
Other points-earning tournaments through the Season include ACO Regionals and ACO Conference Championships.
So, what is cornhole?
The ACO describes the sport this way: Cornhole or corn toss is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores three points, while one on the platform scores one point.
The sport is not unknown to Bradenton where a number of venues have had tourneys.
The Bradenton area has been selected to host three years of major tournaments and one world championship. In addition, there is the possibility of a new Pro-Am tournament to take place each year. Festivities are planned throughout the Bradenton urban core during the tourney.
“There is no better time to host this than in 2021 as we are coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Tuesday.
“We will be working with hoteliers to offer mini-vacations after the tournament and to give participants a chance to enjoy Manatee County,” he said.
Manatee County hoteliers, particularly on the mainland, have been hard hit during the pandemic by the decline in tourism.
Almost 100 % of the attendees, their families and fans taking part in the competition will be from out of state. The major tournament will bring 150 players and the world championships will bring more than 350 players.
The impact from these events will be felt throughout the county at hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and beaches.
The American Cornhole Organization was established in Milford, Ohio, in 2005 as the official international governing body for the sport of cornhole, and the sport continues to grow both in competitors and fans.
During the pandemic, the Bradenton area has also hosted the World’s Strongest Man competition and the WNBA finals.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 2:22 PM.
