This weekend, we took the show on the road to Valparaiso's Popcorn Fest. It was a dream come true and a true labor of love in the (two) weeks leading up (yes, we got accepted just two weeks before the big day—talk about being in a pinch!) It was such an incredible feeling to be able to create for such a special event in our community.
Despite our last-minute excursion, we truly thought we were prepared for everything. That is...until the crowd rushed in, and all cell phone service was left up to god. Now, we were happy to hang up and hang out with our incredible customer-base, but the check-out process was another story. Without service or wifi, our Point of Sale system was rendered useless—and so was Venmo and Zelle!
We thought it was over before it began, but our community showed up and showed out in the best way. For nearly ten hours, while taking breaks to get on the phone with Verizon, upgrade our plans, search the streets for a wifi signal (yes, it was that serious for us), our customers awarded us more patience and trust than we could've asked for.
Those who were more prepped for the situation than we seemed to be (tsk, tsk...) paid with cash, walked with us to the curb outside of our tent to get a hint of service to check out with card, and some even committed to paying us via Venmo once they got service—something that may sound crazy to you, but to us, was a no-brainer. We know our customer-base. These were good, honest people who knew what we were here for. Every single one made good on paying us.
It was almost as if the service and wifi problem was nonexistent. The people of Popcorn Fest made us feel like we were back in our own shop with their gracious understanding and composure that influenced us to stay calm in even the most stressful moments (looking at you, Verizon rep who promised our call wouldn't drop...just moments before it dropped). It just goes to show: where technology fails, humans come through. Every time.
This weekend was full of so many firsts for us, and our friends at Varsity Tailgate Club. VTC is a new Spirit Wear brand right out of Valparaiso, who we had the pleasure of sharing our tent with on Saturday. Megan (owner, designer, do-all-er) was a superstar of the festival from hour one. We are so incredibly proud of her and all the work she's done to get her business rolling! If you entered the Nottingham tent, chances are you left with a little piece of both sides. Just how we like it.
From custom-made "Popcorn Cowgirl" Comfort Colors tees, to our new Soft Flock designed Vikings merch, to embroidered popcorn crewnecks and hoodies that had everyone swooning (I mean, come on, a little 2T sized crewneck will make anyone sob), we truly felt like we had it all. Still, our community sold us out! We were left with a few embroidered hats, custom printed tote bags, and a few more little goodies that we're planning to put to good use on the site soon (keep an eye out)! We are still reeling in the feeling of gratitude and disbelief that so many of you loved our selection of cute, sassy, and even salty merch.
If you walked into our tent, you were greeted by one of us—Owner Nicole, Creative Director Alayna, or Pressin' Patty—and we just want to say thank you. Popcorn Fest tested our limits as creators and business makers, but it was just as rewarding in return. We wouldn't trade this experience for anything, and we are so psyched to (hopefully) make a comeback next year. And don't worry, we'll have Verizon on speed dial this time...promise.
Thank you to Mary Beth Photography for capturing our time at Popcorn Fest 2025!