Got popcorn?

Brian Wilson

“Popcooorn! Get your Popcorn here!”

If the planets align according to plan this weekend, I will be spending a significant portion of my time on Saturday evening shilling popcorn and snow cones in the Medford City Park.

Last year due to COVID concerns and city restrictions, the Kiwanis Club sat out the fireworks without setting up our usual stand. This year we plan to be back and judging by the mountain of supplies crowding my home’s entryway, we hope the crowds will too.

Since I would like to not stub my toe on a 50-lb bag of popcorn every night for the next year (seriously EVERY night, you would think that once or twice I would get lucky and miss it), I personally hope for a nice crowd of popcorn-hungry Independence Day partiers. As in the past, in addition to sales at the booth before the fireworks I will be roaming up and down the Riverwalk hawking bags of the fluffy snack food.

Of course, as the famous saying goes, “Man cannot live by delicious Medford Kiwanis popcorn alone.” Fortunately, the fine folks with the Medford Lions Club will be having their equally as famous food stand as well. There is just something about chomping down on a freshly grilled burger and strawberry sundae and knowing not only is it delicious, but it is helping a variety of great community causes.

The folks at Huey’s Hideaway are once again taking the job of running a variety of fun contests and will have the beer stand open starting at noon.

Last year the city of Medford switched to having the fireworks on July 3 due to the relatively few professional crews out there. While this makes it overlap with the Rib Lake fireworks, on the plus side I finally get a chance to head over to Western Taylor County on the 4th of July for events in Perkinstown and in Jump River.

For years, I have been the one covering the events in the Medford area and have not gotten a chance to take part in the other activities going on around the region.

Wherever you are, as you buy your popcorn, burger, or beverage of choice at any of the 4th of July Festivals this year, remember that they wouldn’t happen without the volunteers giving up their weekend to work shifts in the stands. It is a good bet that the business leader serving you a snowcone, sundae or sandwich could just as easily be relaxing by a lake somewhere and that they are giving up a portion of their holiday to serve the community.

All things considered, that’s pretty cool.