Find Your End-of-Summer Memories in Marion

The largest popcorn festival in the United States — the Marion Popcorn Festival — happens the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday after Labor Day each year. This year’s dates are September 5 through 7. The Popcorn Parade takes place the first night — 300 units strong and one of the highlights of the festival.

All performances on the Festival’s main stage begin at 8:30 p.m. and are free of charge. Featured performers this year are The Four Horsemen (Metallica Tribute) on Thursday, Frankie Ballard on Friday, and Hinder on Saturday. Other events include a popcorn-cooking contest, a fine art show, crafts, Popcorn 5000 5K run/walk, Popcorn 1000 bike tour, a Thursday-afternoon senior show at the historic Marion Palace Theatre and much more. 

The Wings & Wheels Fly-in/Drive-in on Sept. 14 is fun for the entire family. Explore vintage aircraft up close, including this year’s feature airplane, a P-51 Mustang Red Tail as flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. You can soar the skies yourself with helicopter and sail-plane rides. Enjoy dozens more vintage aircraft, R/C aircraft that are open to test fly, and even get the chance to fly a drone! Stroll through rows of classic cars with the Cruise-In for Dialysis drive-in as you watch airplanes come and go alongside the featured aircraft.

The Marion Palace Theatre is known for hosting some of the best classic touring artists in the country. And the concert on Sept. 20 is no exception as this historic theater hosts The Guess Who. Initially gaining recognition in Canada in the 1960s, The Guess Who found international superstardom through the mid-1970s. Their impressive collection of hit singles includes: “These Eyes,” “Clap For the Wolfman,” “Hand Me Down World,” “No Time,” “Star Baby,” “Share the Land,” “No Sugar Tonight,” “Laughing,” “Undun,” and of course their No. 1 rock anthem, “American Woman.”

Nothing says fall like apple cider, the farm, and breathing the crisp, cool air. That and much more awaits at Lawrence Orchard’s annual Applefest on Sept. 28. A day of family fun in the orchard begins at 10 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. Great apple-picking in the orchard is reason enough to attend, but there is so much more. 

For more information on these events, visit visitmarionohio.com/calendar/