In the active downtown of Woodstock, Illinois (where I pastor) they hold Fair Diddley every year. It's basically a craft fair where people set up similar sized booths and sell things they make with TLC that are remarkably better than something at WalMart or World Market. It's really a small collection of amazing and beautiful things alongside some of the typical craft fair cheese like wooden wall hangings that say "Kiss the Cook."
A staple of this craft fair (and most others around the country) is the kettle corn booth. It boasted a line of no less than 10-12 people for hours. You could watch them pour in the popcorn and sugar and salt and stir it with an imitation boat paddle. We finally made our way into the line and shelled out six bucks for a bag of just made, still warm kettle corn.
I tried to pinpoint the reason that kettle corn is so beloved. Why not buttered or something else? My conclusion? Kettle corn is the less predictable popcorn. One bite is sweet, the next is salty, and the next is almost completely without added flavor. Every bite is a surprise, and that makes it fun to eat. I think I'll go grab some now.