For 32 years, the residents of Bluffton have held a celebration known as the Blaze of Lights, which includes a holiday parade, live entertainment, festive family activities, and the lighting of the Ream folk art display.
This year, the event is on Saturday, Nov. 24, when thousands of people will come to enjoy a warm, homestyle Christmas celebration.
"You know when the OSU football game is over," notes chamber CEO Paula Scott; "Suddenly, Main Street is swarmed with people exploring and finding their spots for the parade. It's a great place to meet family and friends.”
If “It’s A Wonderful Life” is one of your all-time favorite Christmas movies, you are in luck.
Bluffton Icon will sponsor two free showings of the 1946 classic featuring the all-star cast of James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore on Friday, Nov. 23, at the Shannon Theatre.
The free showings are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and are part of this year’s Blaze of Lights event.
Nominate Bluffton greatest musician!
Icon viewers have the opportunity to nominate Bluffton’s greatest musician during the holiday season.
The girls' U15 Bluffton Black travel soccer team, coached by Jamie Mehaffie, was recently crowned the champions of the NWOYSL Division 1 for their age group.
With a league record of 6-2-2 and an over-all record of 10-4-4, the girls also participated in the Flag City Classic Tournament in Findlay and brought home the winner's trophy from the Glandorf Soctoberfest, where they won all 4 games scoring 15 times without allowing a goal.
The Bluffton Community Assistance Program is busy at this time of year. Here’s a chat the Icon had with Jami Crawfis, who directs the program's food pantry.
Jami, are there families in the service area of the food pantry in need of assistance at Christmas?
In all, we have 68 families already adopted. We have six individuals still to adopt.
The adopting families will provide fresh, frozen and/or canned food items (or even gift cards to a grocery store) for each family as well as gifts from their wish list.
It's 110 years old, but the message is still clear: "May one give us peace in all our states. The other a piece for all our plates." Our National Birds. The American Eagle and the Thanksgiving Turkey. See the next photo for the sender side. This card went to Miss Alice Bosserman, Rawson, from "Dale," in Arlington.
Donald H. Etter, 91, of Pandora died on Nov. 20, 2018, at Hilty Memorial Home in Pandora. He was born on Dec. 6, 1926, to the late Rolla and Edna (Weller) Etter. On June 29, 1947, he married Joan Huser in a triple wedding ceremony with two of Joan’s sisters in Pandora. She preceded him in death on Aug. 21, 2006.
