Vacations Blog

Feeling the Labor Day let down yet? That sinking feeling after a major holiday gnawing at your gut reminding you that you’ve still got plenty of party left in you but no party left to attend? Enter Middle America and the cure for what ails you, The Marion Popcorn Festival.

The Marion Popcorn Festival Marion, OH

Traditionally held each year on the weekend following Labor Day, the Popcorn Festival, in it’s 29th year, celebrates all things corn–specifically popped corn. Little wonder since this area of central Ohio is home to ConAgra Snack foods, the largest single plant producer of microwave popcorn in the world.   Act II… Redenbacher… Ring any bells?

A Corn Field Outside of Marion, OH

The festival is scheduled September 10, 11 and 12 in downtown Marion, OH from 11:00 am until midnight each day and promises something for the whole family. There are rides for the kids, games, food (and beer), crafts and souvenirs. There’s live entertainment from popular local bands and singing groups as well as some nationally recognized bands that you thought had stopped touring decades ago. (This year’s headliners include Sawyer Brown (they’re country, right?) on Friday and Survivor (yeah, “Eye of the Tiger” Survivor. Who knew?) on Saturday.

All shows are free, as is admission to the festival.

There’s a 5K run scheduled for Saturday morning or you may be more interested in the Popcorn 100 Bicycle Tour. There’s also a Corn Hole Tournament on Saturday. Of course there is! It’s a Popcorn Festival after all.

And let us not forget, there’s popcorn. Lots and lots of popcorn. This is the largest popcorn festival in the world, you know.

Popcorn

So don’t be dismayed that you’ve let a another major holiday pass you by while you could find nothing better to do with your time than vacuum the couch. The Marion Popcorn Festival is right around the corner and hey, when your festival is named in the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, I dare say you can’t go wrong.

All photos used by way of a Creative Commons license. Photo Credits (in order of appearance) Chas Redmond, Ed Lamaze (hmm, I know that name) and bcmom.