Marion Popcorn Festival

the largest popcorn festival in the world

First Weekend after Labor Day

September 7, 8, 9, 2023

  • Home
  • Visiting the Festival
    • Rides & Ticket Information
    • Maps & Directions
    • Senior Stop
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Calendar of Events
    • Main Stage Entertainment
    • Community Showcase Stage
    • Poppin Party Stage
    • Popcorn Parade
    • Popcorn Festival Pageants
  • Get Involved
  • Vendor Info
    • Craft, Community, & Commercial Vendors
    • Concession Vendors
  • About the Festival
    • Maps & Directions
    • Entertainment History
    • Sponsors
  • Contact Us

OLD SKOOL, Collin Raye, and Black Stone Cherry Headline 2023 Main Stage

May 31, 2023 by admin

The Main Stage of the 42nd Annual Marion Popcorn will again feature three nights of free live entertainment, including a high-energy Thursday Popcorn Block Party, a Country artist with 16 #1 hits on Friday, and closes out on Saturday with some Hard Southern Rockers from Kentucky visiting before their September LP release and European Tour, on September 7-8-9 in downtown Marion, Ohio.

Thursday evening’s Popcorn Block Party features ALMOST CHILI PEPPERS, A TRIBUTE TO RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, opening for OLD SKOOL, A CLEVELAND DANCE AND HIP HOP GROUP.

The Main Stage Block Party starts at 6:30 on Thursday when Route 30 Harley-Davidson presents Almost Chili Peppers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert experience. Their great musicianship and incredible stage energy will make you feel like you are at a RHCP concert from the MTV years. With a catalog of more #1 charted singles than any other band in modern rock history to choose from, Almost Chili Peppers performs all the hits and many of the deep cuts and newer releases that Chili Peppers fans know and love.

For more information on Almost Chili Peppers, visit: www.facebook.com/RHCPtrib.

Route 30 Harley-Davidson in Upper Sandusky offers new and preowned Harley-Davidson models, along with parts, clothing and an expert service department. For more information on Route 30 Harley-Davidson, visit: www.route30hd.com

Next, at 8:30 PM following Opening Ceremonies, is the return of OLD SKOOL, brought to you by Buckeye Community School. Originating in Cleveland in 2013, OLD SKOOL has earned the reputation of being one of the tightest, most fun, high energy acts ever witnessed in the region. Included in Scene’s “Best of Cleveland” (Best Cover Band) OLD SKOOL takes a fresh approach to the flow of the live show, often featuring hard hitting songblocks, mashups, and medleys that are usually only attempted by the best of DJs.

Combine this with choreographed stage moves, throwback style costuming, and top notch musicians playing the songs just like the record, and you’ll see why OLD SKOOL is sure to please live music enthusiasts and dance crazed club goers alike. With an ever evolving song list, they’ll rock anything with that “Old Skool” flava. Paying true to form tribute to the ’80s & ’90s Golden Age of Hip Hop, R&B, Dance, Pop, Rock, Funk, and even some classic Disco or Current Hits if the mood is right.

For more information on OLD SKOOL, visit: www.oldskoolcle.com.

Buckeye Community School has locations in Mansfield, London and now Marion, serving students ages 14-21 as an alternative to your traditional high school. For more information on Buckeye Community School, visit: www.buckeyecs.org.

COLLIN RAYE will be taking the mainstage Friday, September 8.

Born Floyd Elliot Wray on August 22, 1960 in De Queens, Arkansas, country artist Collin Raye was one of the true hit makers of the 1990’s. Collin still continues to crank out soulful, heartfelt material with the honesty and richness that is signature to his vocals alone. With 25 top ten records, 16 #1 hits, and having been a 10 time male vocalist of the year nominee (5 CMA and 5 ACM), this truly electrifying performer of his era remains one of the great voices of our time.

Collin Raye is nothing if not passionate. His soulful delivery has set country standards in such searing ballads as “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” “Not That Different” and “If I were you”. Always an energizing showman, he has also blazed through such vivid rockers as “My Kind of Girl,” “That’s My Story,” “I Can Still Feel You” and “I Want You Bad.” Collin shot to fame with “Love, Me” in 1991. Listeners were so moved by this golden and pure voice that this song set the cornerstone for a career built on meaningful and emotional songs that have often been used for weddings, anniversaries, memorial services and funerals. When “Little Rock”, an anthem for those struggling with addition recovery, hit the chart in 1994, its video led to over 100,000 phone calls to Alcoholics Anonymous from folks seeking help in their addictions. “Not That Different” was a song that pleaded for tolerance. “In This Life” became a wedding favorite, and “I Think About You” won awards for its song and video which exposed the exploitation of women and children. His latest release “Scars” features the title song duet with Miranda Lambert, and additional tracks with Vince Gill and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach.

Collin Raye has consistently used his stardom to advance social causes. Among the organizations he has supported are Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About AIDS, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals, The Life and Hope Network, and Make a Difference Day. It came as no surprise when in 2001 at the Country Radio Seminar, Clint Black presented Collin Raye with the organization’s Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition of Collin’s issue-oriented music and his tireless charity work.

For more info on Collin Raye, visit: www.collinraye.com

BLACK STONE CHERRY will wrap-up the mainstage entertainment on Saturday, September 9.

Image of Black Stone Cherry

Black Stone Cherry was formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. Having recorded seven studio albums as well as two EPs, their newest work ‘Screamin’ At The Sky’ is scheduled to drop in September and is available now for pre-order. Their first releases from those sessions are trademark rockers, “Out Of Pocket” in January, and the current song “Nervous”, joining BSC staples “White Trash Millionaire”, “Blame It on the Boom Boom”, “In My Blood”, “Again”, “Me and Mary Jane”, “Cheaper To Drink Alone”, “Blind Man” and “Ringin’ In My Head”. Lifelong friends Chris Robertson, vocals/guitar; Ben Wells, guitar/vocals; and John Fred Young, drums; welcome their new bass player Steve Jewell on his first studio recordings, having slayed the stages with them since 2021.

Over the years, Black Stone Cherry has both headlined and rocked 12,000-cap arena shows and shared the stage with a wide range of superstars, including Alter Bridge, Def Leppard, Gov’t Mule, Nickelback, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Darkness and ZZ Top. In 2018, BSC performed in front of 100,000 people at the Download Festival as main support to Guns N’ Roses and in 2021, the band played the venerated Royal Albert Hall, immortalized on 2022’s live DVD ‘Live From The Royal Albert Hall…Y’All’.

Black Stone Cherry just completed a recent performance at the Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival in Columbus, and were originally scheduled to perform at the 2020 Marion Popcorn Festival which was ultimately cancelled due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

For more info on Black Stone Cherry, visit www.blackstonecherry.com.

Thursday’s Popcorn Block Party entertainment will start at 6:30 PM, with the Friday and Saturday headliners performing at 8:30 PM, following a 6:00 PM opening band (to be announced later) and the recognition of sponsors during the festival’s Opening Ceremonies.

The 2023 dates of the Marion Popcorn Festival are September 7, 8 and 9. All performances on the Festival’s main stage are free of charge. A limited number of Kernel sponsorship seats are available for any of the Main Stage performances by calling 740-387-FEST.

Other festival events and activities include the Popcorn Parade on Thursday with over 300 units, a 5K Run, the return of a Popcorn Golf Outing, a Fine Arts show, crafts and vendors, a corn hole tournament, the Community Showcase Stage, a new Christian Stage, a Poppin’ Party stage beer garden, a Popcorn Matinee musical performance at the historic Marion Palace Theatre, and much more.

Filed Under: News

Old Skool, Knight After Knight, Sneaky Pete and The Players Open the 2022 Main Stage

August 7, 2022 by admin

The Main Stage Opening Acts at the 2022 Marion Popcorn Festival are now set. Sponsored by Buckeye Community School, Old Skool is performing Thursday September 8th before the appearance by Katmandu -The Premier Bob Seger Tribute Band. On Friday, September 9th is Knight After Knight, opening for multi-platinum Country artists Parmalee. And on Saturday September 10th is Sneaky Pete and The Players, opening for rock legend Lita Ford. All opening performances begin at 6:00 PM, followed by Opening Ceremonies Sponsor Recognition and the headline artists at 8:30.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News

Elton John Experience at Marion Palace Theatre

August 7, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

The Elton Experience by Tommy Lee Thompson will take place on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM at the Marion Palace Theatre. This is a free General Admission event, due to the generosity of Fahey Bank and Aqua Ohio.

Tommy Lee Thompson started the Elton John Experience in Put In Bay Ohio in 2011 and has been entertaining audiences across the country with the show, opening for such acts as Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Marshall Tucker, Foghat, Humble Pie, and Sawyer Brown. The Elton John Experience brings to life the essence of Elton John’s music and mannerism like no one else can.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News

Local Artists Sought for MOFAS POPFEST Art Show

July 12, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

MOFAS 2022 POPFEST ART SHOW is a juried fine art competition held at the Brickyard, 135 South Main Street in Marion, on September 8th, 9th & 10th, 2022.

The entry fee is $10/piece for members of MOFAS and $20/piece for non-members with a limit of four pieces per artist.

Original work in all media is acceptable. All work will be judged by a panel of experts. Entry categories are:

Painting–Works created with fluid media in oils, acrylics, watercolor, etc.;
Drawing–Works created using dry media including chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, crayon, or, ink mediums, markers or washes applied by pen or brush;
Photography— Photographic prints; Sculpture–Three dimensional in any medium;
Mixed Media–Pieces that incorporate more than one type of physical material/medium to produce, including fiber art.

Filed Under: News

Entry Forms Available for 2022 Popcorn Parade

July 9, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

Want to take part in the 2022 Marion Popcorn Parade? It steps off at 6:00pm on Thursday, September 8, 2022. But to take part, you must submit an application before the deadlines.

Those wanting to enter a float in the parade must apply no later than August 5, 2022. All applicants will be notified of their status no later than August 12, 2022.

The deadline for non-float entries will be August 25, 2022. In order to have the lineup completed and your position in the parade mailed in time, entries will not be accepted after the August 25th deadline.

Additional rules and information, including the application form, can be found by clicking here!

Filed Under: News

2022 Main Stage Features Parmalee, Lita Ford, and KatMandu

June 16, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

The Main Stage of the 41st Annual Marion Popcorn will feature three nights of free live entertainment, including a group with the currently #1 ranked Country Airplay single, a female rock pioneer/guitar icon, and a tribute to one of Detroit’s most beloved performers on September 8-10, 2022 in downtown Marion, Ohio.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News

Applications Available for 2022 Popcorn Pageants

May 26, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

Information and applications for the Miss, Ms., and Miss Teen Marion Popcorn Pageants are now available. Click here for details and to download an application. Note: all applications must be in before July 10, 2022.

These pageants will be held at River Valley High School Auditorium on August 6, 2022 starting at 7:00pm.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News

Poppy Goes to Space in 2022

April 28, 2022 by Marion Popcorn Festival

Get your Space gear ready for the Marion Popcorn Festival in 2022.

We are excited for this year’s theme and can’t wait to see all the creative floats, pageant wear and ideas you all come up with!

Filed Under: News

Thank You for a Great 2021 Festival

September 30, 2021 by Marion Popcorn Festival

The organizers of the Marion Popcorn Festival would like to issue a huge THANK YOU to the City of Marion, all of our sponsors, volunteers and the community for a successful festival in 2021.

We are already gearing up for a bigger and better festival in 2022. Mark your calendars for September 8, 9, 10, 2022. The festival theme and details will be announced in 2022!

Filed Under: News, Slider

MARION POPCORN FESTIVAL, THREE NIGHTS OF FREE ENTERTAINMENT

July 21, 2021 by Marion Popcorn Festival

RUMOURS, NORTHEAST OHIO’S PREMIER FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE BAND, will kick off this year’s main stage entertainment Thursday, September 9.  

This year marks Rumours’ 24rd year together since they began in 1997. Come out and and join them as they rock Marion with many of your favorite Fleetwood Mac hits, as well as solo hits, from Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie.  The lineup includes: Lance Horwedel as Lindsey Buckingham (lead vocals and guitar); Claudia Doman as Christine McVie (lead vocals, keyboards and guitar); Shannon Martin-Paul as Stevie Nicks (lead vocals); Dave McNary as John McVie (bass); Brian Runkle as Mic Fleetwood (drums) and Matt Corkins (keyboards).

The bands’ interests are deeply rooted in the history of Fleetwood Mac’s song archive. You can tell by their set list dating back into the Peter Green Era. They also delve into Stevie, Lindsey and Christine’s solo careers which span over 50 years.  Come take a walk down memory lane with Rumours as they recreate the sights and sounds of these amazing singers, songwriters and musicians everyone loves.

EDDIE MONTGOMERY OF MONTGOMERY GENTRY, will be taking the mainstage Friday, September 10.  

Eddie Montgomery recently released “Outskirts,” a seven-song EP. With 20 plus charted singles, the Kentucky native has earned CMA, ACM, and GRAMMY awards and nominations with undeniable blue collar anthems like “Hell Yeah,” “My Town,” and “Hillbilly Shoes.” They’ve notched five No. 1 singles, “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” “Something To Be Proud Of,” “Lucky Man,” “Back When I Knew It All” and “Roll With Me.” They were inducted as Grand Ole Opry members in 2009 and were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2015.  Montgomery continues to record music and entertain audiences after Montgomery Gentry member and co-founder, Troy Gentry, died in a helicopter crash in September 2017.

GREAT WHITE, will wrap-up the mainstage entertainment on Saturday, September 11.  

Since 1982, the Great White sound has captivated audiences worldwide with crushing blues-based guitar riffs and swagger that invokes an emotional high for anyone that listens. The band’s core writing team of Michael Lardie and Mark Kendall forged numerous hits over the years and when Audie Desbrow joined in 1985, the grooves hooked an amazing stride.

Their arsenal of songs include the Grammy nominated Best Hard Rock Performance hit, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.” Great White has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, has six Top 100 billboard hits, nine Top 200 billboard albums, two platinum albums and clocked the top of MTV four times. To experience their hits live in concert – ‘Rock Me’, ‘Mista Bone’, ‘Save Your Love’, ‘House of Broken Love’ and ‘Lady Red Light’ – is to ride an emotional wave of sultry connections, arousing lyrics and an all-out marathon of hard-hitting orchestrations.

California-based Great White continues to tour worldwide; the band members are Kendall (guitar), Lardie (guitar, keyboards), Desbrow (drums), Scott Snyder (bass) and Mitch Malloy (vocals), who joined the band in July 2018. 

The 2021 dates of the Marion Popcorn Festival are September 9, 10 and 11.  All performances on the Festival’s main stage begin at 8:30 p.m. and are free of charge.  A limited number of Kernel sponsorship seats are available for any of the Main Stage performances by calling 740-387-FEST.  Other events include the Popcorn Parade with over 300 units, a popcorn cooking contest, fine arts show, crafts, corn hole, Community Showcase Stage, Poppin’ Party stage and much more.  
For more information, visit our web site at www.popcornfestival.com or call 740-387-FEST.   The Marion Popcorn Festival is sponsored in part by the City of Marion.

Filed Under: News

Next Page »

Marion Popcorn Festival Sponsors

City of MarionBoyd Funeral HomeBuckeye Community SchoolsDelmar DistributingGolf-Cart-GuyFahey BankiHeart MediaOhioHealth MarionPromo CostumesStandard Property ManagementSuperior Exterior PowerwashThe Tanner-Miller Group - Coldwell Banker RealtyUS Insurance & Investments

Click here to view all of our financial supporters and learn more about being a sponsor!

Copyright © 2023 · PopcornFestival.com - Powered by Neighborhood Image