A kind of bonus "find" on our recent trip to Corydon was learning that the return of the many-years-dormant Harrison County Popcorn Festival would start on July 1 while we were in Corydon.
Of course, I hadn't known the county had ever had such a festival before, but I saw the townsfolk preparing for it Thursday, the day before it opened on Friday night, July 1. Locals told me the last festival had been 25 years ago. Not sure why it folded way back when, but I wish I could have been around for more than an hour or so of running around Friday night. Popcorn is my favorite snack, and I haven't really indulged in for a long while.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hang around in Corydon long enough to learn more about the festival, other than I did find out that popcorn is a very important agriculture product in Harrison County, hence its long-ago tradition to celebrate it with an annual festival. And, apparently, its decision to resurrect the annual festival this year.
From what I observed on Friday night, festival activities were concentrated at Elm and Walnut streets (where the concert stage was located), enabling attendees to use portions of the courthouse square lawn for seating. But seating also was set up on Elm Street in front of the state. There were hoola-hoop and cornhole games set up beyond the concert seating on Elm, and vendors were set up behind the stage along Walnut Street.
One of the locals said there was supposed to be a parade on Saturday, but I don't know if that was true and/or if it took place. I was out of town by then.
Below are pictures I took, mostly with my iPhone 13 Pro, but a few also with my Canon 6D. You can find a full gallery of images from the popcorn festival preparation and Friday night observance in a gallery by following the link in this sentence.
Above and below: I don't know what Christmas and/or Santa Claus had to do with the Popcorn Festival, but this car was bedecked in Christmas red and stacked with faux presents and even carried a Santa personal license plate.
Some of the attendees conversing along Elm Street (above) and others camped on the courthouse square lawn (first two photos below). Above and first three photos below: Conert performers and attendees at the Walnut Street end of Elm Street. Vendors selling beverages (above) and roasted corn on the cob (Below). Above and below: Vendors selling the products for which the festival was named.
A popcorn "play station" on preparation night (above) and in the throes of activity on opening night (below).
Above: A vendor selling wares other than popcorn.
Above and below: Two more images taken Thursday, the day before the festival opened.
Above and below: More concert and audience shots that I grabbed on my return trip from the Walnut Street vendors area. Hula-hoop participants (above) and cornhole players (below). On Thursday preparation day, I took the picture (above) of the colorful vendor stations being set up and the beer garden area (below) being readied. I was told there was going to be a classic cars show during the weekend, but the pickup above (and the two smaller models in the bed -- a closeup of which appears below -- were the only evidence I saw of that possibility, and these pictures were taken on Thursday preparation day.
