Van Buren Popcorn Festival
 | This article reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage. (April 2016) |
The annual Van Buren Popcorn Festival is a festival held each August, typically during the 1st or 2nd full Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the month, in Van Buren, Indiana.[1] The festival is held in celebration of the central role of popcorn to the town. As with many small town festivals, Van Buren's focuses on a theme that has meaning to the community. First held in 1973, the Popcorn Festival has become a homecoming event to many "expatriate" residents of this small community.[2]
Since 2020, strict measures are undertaken, such as wearing masks & social distancing.
Schedule
[edit]Whilst the schedule varies each year it usually tends to follow a similar pattern:
Thursday:
- evening: Boy Scouts Popcorn tent opens, serving popped popcorn; centerpiece of the town "midway" of fair booths and kiddie rides
- evening: many food and craft booths
- 6:30 p.m. Parade
- hundreds of units participate, including area school bands, civic clubs, first responder volunteers and so forth
- a frequent highlight of the parade is antique cars and antique tractors
- the 50-year reunion class of the Van Buren High School rides a float in parade each year
- late evening: entertainment on the stage
Friday:
- afternoon and evening: Boy Scouts popcorn tent opens
- afternoon and evening: food and crafts vendors
- late afternoon: children's bicycle parade
- early evening: pet parade
- evening until late: open-air concert downtown
Saturday:
- early morning: volunteer fire department pancake & sausage breakfast
- early morning: "Fun Run" and 5K "Kernel Classic" run
- all day: civic and festival events
- Free Cholesterol Testing
- food and craft vendors
- Fincannon Memorial Car and Motorcycle Show
- Cornhole Tournament
- afternoon: Boy Scouts Popcorn Tent
- afternoon: Children's Biblical Festival at the United Methodist Church Annex
- late afternoon: Baby Parade
- evening until late: open-air concert downtown
References
[edit]- ^ Morrow, Tier (1 February 2019). "Popcorn facts many pop-ably don't know". Ball State Daily. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Van Buren Popcorn Festival". Van Buren Popcorn Festival. Retrieved April 14, 2024.