07/28/2025
🍿Pana Popcorn Festival 2025 LOOONNGGG THANK YOU POST! Well, because we have SOOOOO MANY people to thank!!
First, our committee thanks the City of Pana council and administrators for allowing us to put on this event! We appreciate all the help from the City crews making our parks and town look wonderful before the festival! Thank you to our beloved Pana Police Dept and Pana Fire Dept personnel for helping us with barricades, traffic, and making connections in our community all throughout the day!
Next we want to thank all of our event coordinators and various volunteers for planning, parking and working the day of, we apologize if we miss anyone, we appreciated everyone who helped!!
Starting over at this HS with Ms. Carol Schramm and her crew for the 5K early in the morning, then Crystal Waddington and her crew for the Little Pops Fun Run after the 5K. Greg Witsman started the Golf outing at the Pana Country Club. Next, Sarah Schmitz was the retail vendor coordinator for the over 50🙂vendors and organizations that had booths, and also the PHS Choir and I think we spotted some alumni and Boy Scouts in there too;) singing a wonderful National Anthem while our American Legion Kerr Mize Post #168 Honor Guard presented our American Flag!🇺🇸
Great Western Products popped the free popcorn🍿 the whole day! We had Oconee Knights of Columbus cooking Kettle Corn and First National Bank of Pana twirling some Cotton Candy!
Then Gina and Emily Kuhn headed up the Popcorn Princess Contest and Kirby Casner and crew held the fun Dog Show! All of the morning Chautauqua activities sound and music provided by Jim Forrester. Lynn Perkins held the Sand volleyball tournament. The Pana Heritage Pioneer Guild had a tent with rope making, antique tool demonstrations and a plastic axe throwing target. Jamie Berner Smith held the Jeep Show and Rick Smith held the Car Show. Janet and Steve Kessler ran the climbing wall and big slide area and Pana Pride and its volunteers held the Captain Kitchell's Never Never Land on the lagoon island with help with the Pana Cheerleaders having BIG bubble fun with the kids! Eric Jostes and crew ran the new paddleboat races, and Nick Elliott ran the Pickleball Tournament. The probably felt pretty good Dunk Tank was manned by Pana FFA, Pana Student Council and Pana Music Boosters. Jesus Loves You Ministry helped sell WATER for the day,
Gary Sinks set up the sound and lights for our two bands, The Blue Suede Crew and Neon Rodeo had the Chautauqua rocking during the afternoon and evening all lit up past dark.
We especially appreciate our many business and individual sponsors at all levels that helped us achieve promoting the festival and all the necessities it takes to make the day special!!::)) Please visit our sponsors and businesses as often as you can or need:))
Last, but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, Pana Parks Revitalization Committee thanks ALL of the festival goers, participants for the many activities and patrons to ALL of our over 50 retail booths and 9 food vendors!! We hope EVERYONE found something they liked about the day and the Pana Popcorn Festival, (except for that crazy HEAT🥵) but you were all TROOPERS and WE APPRECIATE IT MORE THAN YOU KNOW! Thanks for a Great DAY Pana and surrounding areas for coming out!! We hope to do it again next year!
P.S. Feel free to share any pics in the comments.
Pana Parks Revitalization Committee
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