Marion Popcorn Festival 2026 Guide: Concerts, Rides, Food and Downtown Events
DOWNTOWN MARION — This week, downtown Marion belongs to the Marion Popcorn Festival.
The 2026 festival brings three days of main stage concerts, community performances, rides, food, family activities, Bike Night, a 5K, raffles, a cornhole tournament, a seafood boil, an art show and multiple downtown stages packed with live entertainment.
Here’s a guide to the major downtown happenings during the Marion Popcorn Festival, Thursday, Sept. 10 through Saturday, Sept. 12.
Marion Popcorn Festival Parade
The Marion Popcorn Festival Parade takes place Thursday evening, starting at 6 p.m.
The parade route lines up on Forest Lawn Drive and starts at East Center Street and Uhler Road. The route heads west toward downtown on Center Street, turns left on State Street, then left on Church Street in front of the Wyandot Popcorn Museum before disbanding at the fork of Church Street, Mount Vernon Avenue and South Vine Street.
Bike Night
Popcorn Festival Bike Night is Thursday, Sept. 10.
Bikes begin meeting at 4:30 p.m. on the east side of Garfield Park on East Center Street. Riders leave for The Jerzee at 5:30 p.m., with the bike parade beginning at 5:45 p.m. Final parking is listed at the old Rite Aid on South Main Street.
Main Stage Entertainment
The Main Stage lineup brings three nights of live music to downtown Marion.
Thursday, Sept. 10
5:00 PM – SafeKept6:45 PM – Whitesnaked8:30 PM – Into the Blue, a tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra
Friday, Sept. 11
6:00 PM – Steamtown Road8:30 PM – Cassadee Pope, Grammy-nominated artist and winner of The Voice Season 3
Saturday, Sept. 12
6:00 PM – Hard Drive8:30 PM – Queensrÿche
Poppin’ Party Stage
The Poppin’ Party Stage will be set up in the parking lot between Charleston Place and RHAM on West Center Street.
Thursday, Sept. 10
7:00 PM–11:00 PM – Cherry Blonde
Friday, Sept. 11
5:00 PM–7:30 PM – Nostalgic8:30 PM–12:00 AM – Analog Youth
Saturday, Sept. 12
5:00 PM–7:30 PM – Uprising8:30 PM–12:00 AM – Sneaky Pete & The Players
Community Showcase Stage
The Community Showcase Stage at 233 W. Center St. will feature hometown performers throughout the festival, with music, dance, cheer, youth performers, local bands and community acts scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Rides and Tickets
Festival rides open Thursday at 5 p.m., Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. Rides run through the close of the festival each night.
Ride tickets are $1.50 for a single ticket or $25 for 20 tickets. Rides require 3 to 6 tickets each.
Daily wristbands are $25, available each festival day at the festival. Wristbands are valid only on the day purchased.
Friday at Founders Park
The Free Family Fun Zone will be held Friday, Sept. 11 at Founders Park, at the corner of South Main Street and East Church Street.
Marion Popcorn Festival 5K
The Marion Popcorn Festival 5K is Saturday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.
Registration and sign-up begin at 8 a.m. on Church Street at the Main Stage near Church and Main.
Saturday Cornhole Tournament
The Marion Popcorn Festival hosts a cornhole tournament Saturday, Sept. 12 at noon at the Poppin’ Party Stage on Center Street.
Signups begin at 10 a.m. Entry is $20 for the blind draw tournament. Players may bring their own bags, and prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.
PopFest Art Show at Kin & Kilt
Kin & Kilt will host a PopFest Art Show during the festival at 130 S. Prospect St.
Festival hours for the art show are listed as noon to 8 p.m.
Festival Raffles
The festival will also feature raffle opportunities during the weekend.
The 50/50 raffle drawings are scheduled for 10 p.m. each night. Tickets are $1 for one ticket, $10 for 15 tickets or $20 for 30 tickets. Winners must have valid proof of identification and the winning ticket to claim the cash prize, and winnings must be claimed by 10 p.m. the next night.
The golf cart raffle offers a chance to win a 2026 Epic E40 FX Lithium Golf Cart. Tickets are $20 for one ticket or $100 for six tickets. The drawing will be held across from the Information Trailer on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 11 p.m. The flyer notes that the winner does not need to be present to win.
Bottom Line
If you are heading downtown this week, the Popcorn Festival is the event.
Between the parade, Bike Night, rides, stages, food, family activities, raffles, art, cornhole and national-level headliners, downtown Marion has a full festival weekend on deck.
