Events

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Entertainment for the December 7 and 8 SCHS Christmas Open House at Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd., has been announced as follows:

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Apollo Career Center, 3325 Shawnee Road, Lima will hold its annual Christmas at Apollo Craft Show on Saturday, December 7, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Admission is $3, children 12 and under are free. 

The proceeds from the craft show are divided among the Apollo student clubs to fund community service projects and assist students competing at state and national competitions. One of the largest shows in the region, Apollo Career Center hosts over 100 crafters selling home-made and hand-crafted wares. 

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By Paula Pyzik Scott

For Bluffton’s 2024 Blaze of Lights festival and parade, it seemed like a little North Pole weather drifted south to Ohio on November 30. But most folks were bundled up and prepared to handle temps in the mid-20s.

The Blaze of Lights is steeped in tradition–including parade narration and recitation of the Christmas story by the Town Crier (Kevin Gratz), music including the Bluffton High School Show Choir, a big, dynamic parade with float competition and the lighting of the Ream Folk Art display at Main and Cherry streets.

The event is also spiced with a handful of innovations each year. For 2024, there was a new house for Santa, Mrs. Claus and their guests in the alley across from the Ream Folk Art Display. An Allen County Regional Transit trolley provided rides to see more holiday lights. The parade’s grand marshal was Bluffton’s first Olympian, Trevor Bassitt–who ran the 400m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. ▶︎

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MEET OR MAIL SANTA
Yes, it is true. New this year to Bluffton Blaze of Lights is a new house for Santa, and a mailbox for letters to Santa!

Thanks to a number of businesses and individuals, Santa will have a new home this year. His house will be complete with a mailbox for your kids write a letter to Santa. Please include your return address, drop the letter and Santa will reply to their letter.

The mailbox will be up until Christmas, so if you forget your letter on the night of the Blaze of Lights, you can drop off your letters at a later time.

BLAZE OF LIGHTS SCHEDULE - November 30. 2024

All Day - Restaurants and Shops Are Open

4:00 p.m. 

  • Food and Drinks on Vine St.
  • Food at Bluffton Senior Center

 

5:00 p.m. - Blaze of Lights Parade (Followed by Entertainment on Main St.)

  • Grand Marshal Trevor Bassitt

6:00 p.m. 

  • Visit with Santa (Alley between Edward Jones and Sielschott, Walsh, Keifer & Regula, CPAs)
  • Ride the RTA Trolley (Board on Church St. at Samuel Diller Law Office)
  • Ride The Romick Railway (Board at Main St and Vine St)

 

6:30 p.m. - Lighting Ceremony Reading of The Christmas Story Lighting of the Ream Display

7:00 p.m. - The After Blaze on Vine St.

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The 130th performance of Handel's "Messiah" on Dec. 6 at Bluffton University has been sold out!

Limited tickets are still available for the 131st performance on Dec. 7 at University of Findlay. Reserve your free ticket today www.bluffton.edu/tickets

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Et Cetera Shop, Inc. will wrap up its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration with Redo, Renew, Repurpose from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Bluffton Family YMCA, 215 Snider Road, Bluffton. 

Redo, Renew, Repurpose will showcase creators and the things they’ve made by repurposing used materials. Although the event is intended to simply highlight how to make something new and useful from old items, some vendors will be selling their creations. 

Many with displays have purchased their materials from the three stores that operate under the umbrella of Et Cetera Shop Inc., including Et Cetera Shop, Ten Thousand Villages and Book ReViews, all in Bluffton.

Children in Bluffton Family YMCA’s afterschool program have been creating items from materials found at the Et Cetera thrift shop. Some of their projects will be displayed during the event.

Individuals who create items from recycled materials are invited to display and sell their creations. Displays are limited to a card table or 6-foot table and artists must provide their own table. Artists who wish to sell their crafts must manage their own sales. To sign up to participate, contact Joyce Schumacher at [email protected]. Use “repurpose” in the subject line. 

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