To: jemimaskelley@gmailcom

Subject: See What’s Poppin’ at This A”maize”ing Festival

Dear Jemima Skelley:

It is a sunny September day in Valparaiso, Indiana and the streets lined with people. Intrigued
by the smell of good food and the sound of sirens in the air, you focus on the road ahead of you
and see a parade heading your way. But there is something peculiar about the leading float: It’s
covered top to bottom in popcorn.

The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival would make for a great story that aligns with your interests. I
enjoyed your “18 Surprisingly Cool Towns in the USA” story where you cover La Conner,
Washington, which also has a unique festival. The Popcorn Festival also has a variety of food
options you may enjoy learning about. Not only does it have several gourmet popcorn stands,
but it also includes many booths run by popular local businesses, such as Valpo Velvet Ice
Cream and the Porter County Apple Orchard. These may interest you considering the many
articles you have written about popular and interesting foods in different regions.

While attending the Popcorn Festival, you are invited to a tour of the parade floats, where you
will have the opportunity to speak with their owners and learn more about what makes the
festival and its participants so unique. I can also offer a tour of Opportunity Enterprises, one of
the local organizations that sells gourmet popcorn at the festival, where you can see what goes
into the process of making the variety of popcorn flavors they offer.

This opportunity will not be available for long, as businesses start to plan very early and must
schedule tours such as these far in advance. I will be in touch with you in 5 days to check in, or
if you prefer to contact me earlier, you may email me at mesnider@butler.edu. I look forward to
hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Madelin Snider