The Weekend Pulse: Happenings in Marion County, Friday, May 1–Sunday, May 3
- Chip Gregory
- Apr 30
- 4 min read
Marion County is kicking off May with a full weekend lineup.
Live blues. Community concerts. Carnival rides. Brunch. Art classes. Volleyball. Karaoke. Pottery. A downtown Margarita Bar Crawl. And enough “get there early” events to keep your calendar busy from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.
The Weekend Pulse has the full list, so stop pretending there’s nothing happening around here.
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026
10:00 AM – Ceremony Honoring Fallen Firefighters at the Marion County Firefighters Memorial – Marion Cemetery – 620 Delaware Ave., Marion – Ceremony honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving Marion County. Free to attend.
5:00 PM – Carnival at the Marion Centre Mall – Marion Centre Mall – 1509 Marion-Waldo Rd., Marion – Carnival rides, games, food, and spring midway fun. Free parking and free admission; tickets and wristbands available for rides.
Margarita Bar Crawl – Downtown Marion – Shovel City Drinkery, Taco Central Sports Bar, Fable Bar & Co., and Kin & Kilt – Downtown Marion bars and restaurants are teaming up for a Margarita Bar Crawl. Grab a punch card, enjoy one margarita at each participating stop, and get entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card from one of the participating locations.
7:00 PM – The Marion Palace Chorus Community Concert – Marion Palace Theatre – 276 W. Center St., Marion – Community concert featuring singers from across Marion. Free admission; donations welcome.
7:00 PM – Live Blues Music with 270 Famous – Shovel City Drinkery – 181 N. Main St., Marion – Live blues from 270 Famous, with J Michael’s Philly Cheesesteak Truck outside from 5–9 PM. Music runs 7–10 PM. Free admission.
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026
9:00 AM – Mom’s, Mimi’s, Mutt’s & More Community Event – 107 E. Marion St., Caledonia – Community event in Caledonia running from 9 AM–1 PM.
10:00 AM – Brunch, Please! A Mimosa-Fueled Throwback Sing-Along at Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen – SOLD OUT – Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen – 320 W. Center St., Marion – High-energy brunch experience with mimosas, food, throwback music, inflatable mics, sunglasses, and crowd sing-alongs. Runs 10 AM–2 PM.
10:00 AM – Sketching Marion in Watercolor & Ink – Art Loft Marion – 186 W. Church St., Marion – Guided sketching and watercolor class focused on outdoor sketching and painting around Marion. Runs 10 AM–noon.
Margarita Bar Crawl – Downtown Marion – Shovel City Drinkery, Taco Central Sports Bar, Fable Bar & Co., and Kin & Kilt – Downtown Marion bars and restaurants are teaming up for a Margarita Bar Crawl. Grab a punch card, enjoy one margarita at each participating stop, and get entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card from one of the participating locations.
2:00 PM – Carnival at the Marion Centre Mall – Marion Centre Mall – 1509 Marion-Waldo Rd., Marion – Carnival rides, games, food, and midway fun. Saturday hours run 2–10 PM.
2:30 PM – Blind Draw Volleyball – Cooper’s Bowl – 191 Barks Rd. W., Marion – First blind draw volleyball event of the season. Sign-up begins at 2:30 PM; games start at 3 PM. Cost is $5.
7:00 PM – Live Music with Magnetic Duo – Kin & Kilt – 130 S. Prospect St., Marion – Live music from Magnetic Duo at Kin & Kilt. Music runs 7–10 PM. Free admission.
7:30 PM – Queen of Hearts – Kin & Kilt – 130 S. Prospect St., Marion – Weekly Queen of Hearts drawing event at Kin & Kilt. Drawing begins at 7:30 PM.
7:30 PM – Rock the May: An Evening with Friends – Marion Palace Theatre – 276 W. Center St., Marion – Cabaret-style concert featuring local performers, rock anthems, community impact, and support for arts education and Palace programming.
8:00 PM – Karaoke Night – Fable Bar & Co. – 119 W. Huber St., Marion – Monthly karaoke night with free entry, music, and a complimentary seasonal shot of “Liquid Courage” for performers.
8:00 PM – Potty Mouth Pottery – Mimi’s Art Hollow – 287 W. Center St., Marion – Adult BYOB pottery night with bold, funny, and “potty-mouth” design options. Guests 21 and over may bring adult beverages. Runs 8–10 PM.
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026
10:00 AM – Brunch, Please! A Mimosa-Fueled Throwback Sing-Along at Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen – Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen – 320 W. Center St., Marion – Throwback sing-along brunch with mimosas, food, music, and crowd energy. Runs 10 AM–2 PM.
2:00 PM – Carnival at the Marion Centre Mall – Marion Centre Mall – 1509 Marion-Waldo Rd., Marion – Final day of the carnival weekend at Marion Centre Mall. Sunday hours run 2–9 PM.
3:00 PM – The Marion Concert Band presents Music Flowers in May – River Valley High School Auditorium – 4280 Marion-Mt. Gilead Rd., Caledonia – Free concert presented by the Marion Concert Band at River Valley High School Auditorium.
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