If you haven't heard of cornhole, you probably haven't been to the midwest in awhile. The game is also known as bean bag toss and has been growing like wildfire in the midwest and beyond. Not only does it have two national organizations, but also a movie in the works and front page stories on Wall Street Journal. The game keeps growing as more and more tournaments are hosted each year. Most recently, a large tournament was held at Soliders Field in Chicago. But what is this game all about?



Quite simply, cornhole involves 8 bags (4 per team) and 2 cornhole boards. Teams pair up in teams of two and then take turns tossing their bags at the opposing cornhole board. The game is simple to play, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. You know that by the hundreds of people you see lining the sidewalks of Chicago every weekend as they squeeze a few games in. Young and old line the streets as they play "Bags" (as it's known in Chicago) and enjoy the nice summer weather. With a drink in hand of course!

So what is the real reason for the growth? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that there hasn't been a true leisure summer activity to come along in awhile. Most games are either tiring (volleyball) or they tear up your lawn (horseshoes). Cornhole levels the playing field and brings everyone together in doing so.

With the growth in cornhole recently, there have been many community sites that have sprung up where players meet and discuss game topics. And with more players, there are more organizations that are organizing tournaments for charity or just for fun. A lot of bars in the midwest are finding that putting out a cornhole set in their beer garden is a wonderful way to get customers into the door.

So pay attention, and if one summer evening you hear 8 consecutive thumping noises followed by a 15 second delay, cornhole might have arrived in your city.