Bluffton's first December holiday weekend offers lots of activities for persons interested in getting into the holiday mood. Here's the first installment of December weekend features from The Icon on what's going on in Bluffton.

This is Bluffton village resident's last chance to have their lawn decorations judged. The Blaze of Lights committee will judge residential lights this weekend. To assure that your home is judged e-mail a request to be judged by 5 p.m., Friday, to [email protected]. Three prizes are: first place, $200; second place, $200; third place, $50.

SATURDAY, DEC. 3 EVENTS

The Swiss Community Historical Society will celebrate Christmas at the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Road, from 1 to 7 p.m. There will be self-guided tours of the decorated, fully-restored mid-1800 home, refreshments, a gift shop featuring holiday items and music in the parlor. Children's activities include making a paper "Fraktur" ornament and hand-dipped candles. The event is free and open to the public.

Students in a "Planning for Special Events" class at Bluffton are hosting "A Season of Giving" at Saturday's games against Franklin College, giving prizes to fans who will become eligible for drawings by bringing nonperishable food items for the Bluffton Community Assistance Food Pantry. Tipoff times in Founders Hall are 2 p.m. for the women's game and 4 p.m. for the men.

McDonald's of Bluffton and Monsanto are sponsoring the event, which is offering two grand prizes-two tickets to the Ohio State-Michigan men's basketball game Jan. 29 in Columbus, and an Apple iPad-to be awarded near the end of the respective games.

Every can of food brought to the games is worth one ticket in the drawings, which will be held throughout the afternoon.

Other prizes are two booklets of movie tickets to Bluffton's Shannon Theatre; four, $15 iTunes gift cards; five, $20 gasoline gift cards; two, $25 McDonald's gift certificates; and $100 in clothing from the campus bookstore in Marbeck Center. Individuals whose names are drawn must be present to win.

Prize recipients will include winners of basketball "knockout," to be played at halftime of both games.

Christmas For Kids will be held at Trinity Lutheran School, Jenera, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The program will provide children in pre-school through 4th grade a special opportunity to hear the real message of Christmas, along with Christmas crafts, music, refreshments and fun. For more information, please call 419-326-4402.

The Bluffton Baptist Church, 235 County Line Road, will host its live nativity from 7 to 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 4 EVENTS

Three Bluffton University choirs will headline "A Festival of Lessons and Carols," the university's annual Christmas choral concert, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, in Yoder Recital Hall.

The program is designed around a historical structure of Scripture readings and Christmas carols. The readings, taken from prophetic writings about the Messiah's coming and from the Christmas story, are interspersed with various Christmas pieces.

Tickets, $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for senior citizens (65 and over) and non-Bluffton students, are available online at http://tickets.bluffton.edu or by contacting the box office at 419-358-3239 or [email protected]. Admission is free for Bluffton students.

Accent!, a men's chorus conducted by Dr. Mark Suderman, professor of music, will perform four numbers. Suderman also conducts Camerata Singers, a select chamber choir that will sing four contrasting pieces. The women's chorus Bel Canto will present four numbers conducted by Dr. Jon Peterson, an assistant professor of music. Conducted by Suderman, the three choirs will combine to close the program with "This Christmastide (Jessye's Carol)" by Donald Fraser.
The five-member Bluffton Brass Society, coached by Dr. Jeffrey Boehm, professor of music, will also perform one number, while the Saxophone Quartet will provide pre-concert music in the Yoder lobby. The quartet's coach is Dr. Adam Schattschneider, also a professor of music.

Chiles-Laman Funeral Home will hold a Tree of Remembrance memorial service at 4 p.m. at The Centre. The service is planned to help ease the pain of loss that comes when remembering a loved one during the holidays.

"Ring" in the holiday season hosted by St. John's United Church of Christ. The Findlay Community Bell Choir will perform a concert at the church at 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4, according to Rev. Carol Clements, pastor.

MONDAY, DEC. 5 EVENTS

Holiday music will be performed at the Bluffton Public Library from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring Jim Boedecker. Free refreshments will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Bluffton Public Library.

The Bluffton elementary band and strings will perform their holiday concert at 7 p.m. in the middle school cafetorium.

ALSO

Peanut brittle is available while the supply lasts. The Bluffton-made candy is available at the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center for $5 a pound. Another Christmas gift idea is Bluffton playing cards, based on historical photos representing Bluffton. Decks are $10 each, while supplies last.

Make certain you take an evening walk on Main Street's business district. Bluffton's business windows are among the most decorative in any small town in northwestern Ohio. This year's top winners are: The Black Lab, first place; Citizens National Bank, second place; Groves Collectibles and Antiques, third place.

Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs offers a 2012 art calendar. It features 13 pages of this year's art auction works. Calendars are available at Greg's Pharmacy and Common Grounds for a suggested donation of $10 each.

Ream holiday folk art exhibit will be lit on the Bluffton Presbyterian Church lawn nightly through Jan. 1.

The Gift of Giving Light Show extravaganza will be shown on East College Avenue across from Harmon Field nightly through Jan. 1.

Maps of Bluffton that show where holiday lights are displayed are available free at the red mailbox on the Presbyterian Church lawn, Bluffton Marathon, Greg's Pharmacy, The Dough Hook, Circle K and Bluffton BP. The maps are also available by clicking here and are on the chamber website, www.explorebluffton.com.