This image is the cover for the book The Marion Popcorn Festival: A Fun-Filled History

The Marion Popcorn Festival: A Fun-Filled History

In 1981, a small group of local business leaders put Marion, Ohio, on the path to hosting the largest popcorn festival on the planet. Founded in part to honor the achievements of Marion-based Wyandot, Incorporated, once the world's largest popcorn exporter, the Marion Popcorn Festival celebrates the city's dynamic industrial past. Free and open to the public for more than three decades, the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of fans for three days of popcorn, pageantry and fun. Drawing on the memories of founders and longtime volunteers, author Michelle Rotuno-Johnson brings us the festival from seed to snack in this all-encompassing work.

Michelle Rotuno-Johnson

Ohio native Michelle Rotuno, Johnson is currently a reporter for the Marion Star, where she publishes features and breaking news. She previously worked as a news clerk for the Columbus Dispatch. A member of the dean's list for seven straight semesters, she graduated with honors from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2010, where she also worked as a managing editor for the Ohio Wesleyan Transcript, the oldest regularly published student-run newspaper in the country.

American Palate