Popcorn Festival

Along with the food and entertainment at the Marion Popcorn Festival, there are several contests. The winners of the cooking contest, Poppin Pooch Pageant, and Fine Arts Show are named below.

The following is the list of winners in the 2011 Marion Popcorn Festival Parade.

Civic
1. Marion Public Library
2. Noon Lions

Commercial
1 MCI
2 Tri-Rivers Adult Ed

Industrial
1 ConAgra
2 Wyandot

Country artist Jason Michael Carroll will take the main stage of the Marion Popcorn Festival on Saturday at 8:30pm. The performance, as always, will be free of charge. The Showcase Stage, in front of City Hall features dancers and singers throughout the day ending with live music from The Crissinger Band featuring Jimmy Crissinger.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is Friday's main stage headliner at the Popcorn Festival starting at 8:30pm. As always, performances are free of charge. The Showcase stage will feature area show choirs, dancers, and close out the evening with live music.

New in 2011 at the 31st Marion Popcorn Festival is the Garden Within the Garden – a wine tent with a variety of activities slated for Friday and Saturday of the Festival.  The Wine Garden will be located inside the Center Street Beer Garden and will offer wine and imported beer from 3:00pm to close.

The Marion Popcorn Festival Popcorn Senior Stop is being hosted by the Senior Hospitality Center. The Senior Stop, located in the May Pavilion of the Palace Theatre, will be open Thursday, September 8, 2011 and Friday, September 9, 2011.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Vicious Cycle will take the Marion Popcorn Festival main stage at 8:30pm on Thursday, September 8, as part of the Festival’s Bike Nite festivities. Their performance, as with all main stage entertainment, is free. In addition to the main stage, there is entertainment occurring all day at the community stage.

The 2011 Orville Redenbacher Marion Popcorn Festival Parade will step off Thursday evening at 6:00pm. While the forecast calls for a good chance of rain, festival officials say the parade will proceed unless there is lightening or huge downpours.

Several events are hosted by The Marion Popcorn Festival throughout the three day festival including their newest event, Kiddie & Adult Pedal Tractor Pulls. Entry forms are becoming available for all of the events and interested participants are encouraged to register.

On Tuesday, September 6, at 6:00pm, detours will begin being posted in the downtown Marion area to accommodate the activities for the 2011 Marion Popcorn Festival. Streets will remain closed until the festival’s conclusion at midnight on Saturday and may remain closed into early Sunday morning for festival clean-up.