Lori K Bath makes a splash in the Popcorn Fest parade with ‘80s themed float

Each September, downtown Valparaiso prepares early autumn fun for the community with the Popcorn Festival. The celebration will include tasty treats, an array of vendors, live music, and much more to entertain the crowd. One of the main events attendees anticipate is the morning parade.

Kicking off two hours after the festival has officially begun, the community gets a chance to check out the creative floats and familiar faces as local businesses make their way through the streets.

Housed in Valparaiso, Lori K Bath is a bathroom remodeling company with family values at heart. Its dedication to serving the community extends beyond quality home remodeling — the excellent team at Lori K Bath is dedicated to giving back in the ways that matter, including the Lori K. Cares program.

By both participating in the Popcorn Parade and acting as a sponsor, Lori K Bath is ready to get out and continue showing its pride in being part of the community.

While this is its first year sponsoring the Popcorn Parade, Lori K Bath has been sailing a float in the parade since 2023.

Being part of the parade is important to the team, especially for Events Manager Shyanna Condiff. Not only does this participation matter from a marketing standpoint, but also as a way to bring the team together and show support for the community that Lori K Bath calls home.

“This community is truly our home base. We’ve been involved with the Popcorn Fest for the last few years, and as our company has grown, I’ve been building our events department with a big focus on expanding our presence in the community,” Condiff said.

The Valparaiso Events team decides the parade theme each year, and Condiff takes it from there. Once she has a vision in mind and the marketing team has an opportunity to give their input, a mock-up design comes next. While the process of designing the float is a joint effort, and Condiff takes everyone’s thoughts into consideration, her say is final in the direction the float’s design takes.

Upon finalization of the mock-up, Condiff and the production team work hand-in-hand to begin building the structure to bring the vision to life.

“I have a few team members who jump in to help, so it really becomes a team effort once we get into the decorating process,” Condiff said. “This year, I also have help from my amazing assistant manager, Tifinie — she has helped with the execution process.”

The first stages of the float begin in Condiff’s office, with plenty of space to plan and craft — the actual process of building the float happens inside Lori K Bath’s main office in the warehouse. There, the team uses a variety of materials to bring the mock-up to life. From cardboard and foam to paint and glue, the three dimensional details slowly come to life beneath the team’s experienced hands.

“It really is like getting to be in art class again. I love having an opportunity in my day-to-day job to be creative, have a little whimsy, and make something completely from scratch,” Condiff said. “At this point, the Popcorn Parade is definitely my number one priority, so let’s just say there are materials, decorations, and pieces of the float pretty much everywhere.”

The building process has been a combination of planning, creativity, and problem solving to bring this year’s “Popping Through the Decades” theme to life. Rolling with a 1980s vibe, Condiff and the team have chosen bright, neon colors that work as a natural fit to the recognizable Lori K pink that has become so iconic to the brand. The aim has been to create something that will immediately catch people’s attention while being nostalgic, recognizable, and relatable to the community. Classic toys and games, such as Rubik’s Cubes and Pac-Man, as well as static televisions and boomboxes, will be sure to catch the crowd’s attention.

The team has even crafted an Etch a Sketch into a mock shower to give the float a fun Lori K Bath twist while remaining true to the decade.

The process of bringing the float together has gotten smoother over the years, as the team picks up tips and tricks through trial and error. Condiff and her fellow builders have learned everything, from what adhesives work best to create fake popcorn, to when to attach balloons so they survive the entire parade.

“You’d be surprised by how much you learn along the way — especially when you’re working with actual popcorn,” Condiff said.

2026 has been especially exciting thanks to an opportunity to take part in a small group training with Ron Donahue, who has created many grand prize winning Popcorn Festival floats throughout the years. Condiff feels it has elevated the team’s capabilities.

“Getting to learn from someone with that kind of experience has definitely taken our float-building knowledge to the next level,” Condiff said.

Seeing such a large project come together is always a fulfilling experience for Condiff and the team, but their enjoyment runs deeper than seeing a project well done. Everyone working on the Popcorn Fest parade float thoroughly enjoys spending more time together while having the opportunity to be creative outside of their typical roles. With each float built together, new memories are made.

Much of the team grew up in Valparaiso or the surrounding areas, with many years under their belt of attending the Popcorn Fest and parade. Most of the Lori K Bath team grew up watching the parade, and now they are able to be part of making memories for the next generation to enjoy. The team considers itself a family, and truly values the community it is part of.

To learn more about what’s in store for this year’s Popcorn Festival, you can visit the Valparaiso Events website here.

Interested in what the Lori K Bath team does? Visit its website at lorikbath.com.