What’s Pineapple Palooza in Downtown Bellefontaine without a smiling, jaunty pineapple strolling around, greeting the community? Kyler Vollrath, 11, donned the pineapple suit for the annual event, which took place on Saturday, June 7, boasted great weather, large crowds, good food and a variety of entertainment, from bounce houses to a zipline down Main Street. The beginning-of-summer fun, which ended with a concert featuring local talent and headliner Southern Summer, lasted until midnight. Event organizer Maddie Stotler stated the festival is about “celebrating the spirit of Bellefontaine.” And, she added, the pineapple, which symbolizes hospitality and welcome, “represents the community’s warmth and the thriving energy of the downtown district.” (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
This year, downtown Bellefontaine’s Pineapple Palooza on Saturday, June 7, featured Little Pineapple Markets—an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to sell their homemade goods. For instance, Declan Coffey, age 11, sold hand soap and artwork with the help of his mom, Jessica. The family just moved to Bellefontaine in March. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
Balloon artist Noelle Frederick with Juggler Dave and Friends, a circus performance group out of Cincinnati, entertains children and adults at Pineapple Palooza in downtown Bellefontaine on Saturday, June 7. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
Five-year-old Kinsley, who came to Bellefontaine from Urbana with her family to enjoy Pineapple Palooza on Saturday, June 7, enjoyed feeding the different animals at the petting zoo. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)