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Have you seen a popcorn ball? Have you seen a large popcorn ball? What about the world’s largest popcorn ball? If not, head to Sac City, in the heart of Iowa’s popcorn producing region.
The popcorn ball in question is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 9,370 pounds. This nearly five tons of popcorn was popped and glopped together in 2016. Touching is not allowed, but you can view it from all sides. The ball sits in a climate-controlled enclosure in the middle of the town, waiting for anyone looking for a photo op.
The current behemoth is Sac City’s fourth giant popcorn ball. The first, a mere 2,225 pounder, was created in 1995. It traveled around Iowa, appearing in parades and at local fairs, and between outings it was kept in a warehouse at the Noble Popcorn Company in Sac City. Unsurprisingly, the giant sticky globe soon developed a mold problem.
In 1996, Sac City decided to dispose of the expired icon in a spectacular way. In an event at the county fairgrounds, with stands full of spectators and TV cameras rolling, they stuffed dynamite into it and blew it up. Or at least, tried to blow it up. According to the Des Moines Register, “the ball merely jumped several feet in the air and cracked into a dozen pieces.”
In 2004, civic-spirited volunteers worked for seven hours to create a new giant popcorn ball for Sac City. The new ball weighed 3,100 pounds. Two years later, a bigger popcorn ball was unveiled in Illinois, so in 2009 Sac City responded by creating a 5,000 pounder. But the competition wasn’t over. In 2013, the Indiana State Fair featured a 6,510-pound popcorn ball. Three years later, Sac City recaptured the title, with its current record-holder. (Storing it in an air-conditioned enclosure has so far prevented it from the moldy fate of the first giant.)
The popcorn ball isn’t just a tribute to the popcorn producing heritage of northwestern Iowa, it’s also a testament to the determination of the citizens of Sac City. If they want to be the home of the world’s largest popcorn ball, they are willing to put in the work to make it happen.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s December 2023 issue as a part of Peak Iowa, a collection of fascinating state stories, sites and people.
