There’s nothing better than taking a night to spend some quality time with your significant other on an excursion for two. Since the dawn of man, we’ve known that spending quality time with others is one of the best ways to build intimacy and connection, and despite the wonders of the digital age that old-world wisdom still remains true to this day. Marion is a delightful city, one of the industrial arteries of Ohio’s manufacturing business, and it boasts a variety of exciting activities to enjoy for a time of romance and fun. Located 50 miles north of Columbus, you can expect easy access to all of the amenities of city life and its wondrous capacity for entertainment, while also offering a quieter, different kind of life. It’s easy to find a way to spend an evening in Columbus, so here we wanted to highlight some of the opportunities that you can capitalize on in Marion itself. Whether it’s enjoying a movie in a one-of-a-kind cinema, or attending the largest popcorn festival in the world, your nights in Marion will never be the same.

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The Dates

• Movies At The Palace Theatre
• The Popcorn Festival
• Fun At The Fairgrounds

Take A Trip To A Foreign Land

This theater has more than just movies to draw you in

Imagine your typical movie theater. Carpet-lined floors, cardboard cutouts of the latest movies playing now, posters plastered all over the otherwise-boring walls. From the outside, it probably looks like a big concrete box, and when you step into the actual viewing area itself it probably keeps that look going. Most of us have never known anything different from this kind of theater, it’s ubiquitous across the country, but once upon a time people tried to do something different with the status quo. For a time, people built what were called “atmospheric theatres”, movie theatres that were designed to defy the typical boring architecture that we expect today. Marion has one of 16 remaining atmospheric theatres left in the United States designed by architect John Eberson, the main figure in this movement in the early 20th century. Marion’s Palace Theatre is designed to have the look of a Spanish castle, with pillars, balustrades, and plaster casts of ancient Greek sculptures all implemented to give the appearance of a foreign place of royalty. The ceiling is painted to look like the night sky, with stars twinkling in the plaster, and a projector lights the ceiling with images of passing clouds to complete the feeling of an outdoor promenade. As a site with both historical significance and an imaginative interior that goes above and beyond to transport you to a fanciful place, this is a perfect place to enjoy a magical night with your romantic partner.  Combined with the magical power of cinema to deliver us into completely different worlds, you’ll remember your nights at the Palace Theatre with a smile.

Indulge Yourself

You can finally let out your inner popcorn enthusiast

Romance and food go together hand in hand, but we advocate for all kinds of different culinary experiences when you’re trying to connect with others. A five-star restaurant has its place in all of our relationships, but some of the most fun and memorable moments come from low-stakes, casual times spent together, when you don’t have to worry about all the social rules of being classy and demure. The Marion Popcorn Festival is just the place for you to hold hands, make jokes, and laugh as loudly as possible while getting some of the best popcorn ever made for human mouths. The festival is coincidentally the largest popcorn festival in the entire world, attracting 250,000 people annually, so don’t be worried about being the only couple in the crowd, you’ll have plenty of company. The history of the festival goes back to 1981, when local businesses in Marion decided to create an event that would help raise awareness of the quality of the popcorn that Marion creates, as well as give people an opportunity to simply celebrate the deliciousness of truly heavenly popcorn. Marion is one of the top growers of popcorn in the world, so this humble festival could actually turn out to be a gourmet experience after all. The event has a theme every year, so no matter how many times you go it’ll always be a new experience, and there are always new popcorn flavors and classic favorites to taste, so for a perfect blend of old, new, and you, you can never go wrong with a day enjoying popcorn with your loved one.

All’s Fair At The Fairgrounds

With dozens of exciting events, it’s impossible to be disappointed with the fairgrounds

For those of us who live near cities and get caught up in the trials and tribulations of that kind of life, it’s easy to dismiss a fair as a small-town event that holds little promise. But for anyone who’s actually gone to a country fair, it’s exactly that small-town feel that makes these kinds of events so enjoyable to participate in. County fairs and festivals ooze charm in all of their incarnations. For starters, going to a fair can make you feel more connected to your community by simply participating in a community event. It’s that simple: if you spend time out and about with the people you live and work with, you’ll feel like part of a tribe with them. Because of this, it’s also a fantastic way to feel closer as a couple. When you’re clearly attending the county fair with your significant other, you reinforce your own feelings of being a couple to yourself and to the people around you. It’s a great way to feel closer to your community, and your partner. County fairs can also connect you with the kinds of things that normal life doesn’t provide for you, like eating locally-sourced food and buying locally-made products that can be difficult to find otherwise. Here, everything is brought to you, so you can find out new things about the wonderful Marion community that you’re a part of too. And along with finding new things, you’ll meet new people too in the process, forging friendships and having fun with others and giving you that forever-satisfying thrill of truly enjoying a new person’s company. Marion’s fair offers exciting events like monster truck races, fireworks shows, arts and crafts competitions, livestock shows, and more, giving you so many opportunities to experience all kinds of different activities and expand your worldly knowledge with someone you love.