By Paula Pyzik Scott

This is a “scratch the surface” report on the 2025 Bluffton Fall Festival. Mind you, I spent my day at three different locations, but that just provided a sampling of the food and fun on offer across the village. I dropped by the Bluffton Craft show, the historical Schumacher Homestead and Maple Crest senior living village to get a feel for the 20th annual festival.

A common denominator for all these locations was the opportunity to get something good to eat. Food trucks as well as homestyle offerings were featured. I enjoyed a sandwich of Swiss cheese with apple butter on homemade bread that is a Fall Festival tradition at the Schumacher Homestead and apple crisp with cinnamon ice cream at Maple Crest.

Those were the only purchases I made, but that was just for the sake of time. A huge selection of vendors were at the Bluffton Craft Show, spanning the Bluffton High School, Franklin and Jackson Streets, and Bluffton Middle School. This was effectively double the size of the 2024 show. For decades this show was held on Main St. in May. While the fall weather could not have been better, the mostly indoor setup seemed to be a big hit with vendors and shoppers.

The Bluffton Lions Club sponsored the show and distributed maps to ensure you found what you wanted. The club also used the event to help spread the word about fundraising for an all-abilities playground at Legacy Park, a new Village of Bluffton development on Snider Rd.

Visitors at Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd., enjoyed live music, kettles of popcorn and bean soup cooked over wood fires, tours of the homestead buildings and demonstrations of heritage crafts. In the new Heritage Center I chatted with Jon Hilty who was caning chairs, and with Jason Althaus at a display of furs and traps. In the wood shop I visited with cooper John Law and tinsmith Annatina Law. Each provided a look at skills and tools used in the 1800s and answered questions from children and adults.

Visitors benefited from two major improvements made by the Swiss Community Historical Society as part of the Heritage Center: indoor toilets and a gravel parking lot with marked spots. 

At Maple Crest I enjoyed a veritable tractor fest. A kiddie tractor pull tested the strength and determination of youngsters on a mini pedal-powered John Deere. Participants had two tries to go the distance. A second unadvertised test was waiting your turn. Is it fair to have the oldest children go first?

Not far from the tractor pull was the annual antique tractor show. This event has the feel of a reunion with tractors. I enjoyed reuniting with the Ron and Linda Green family, who brought their grandson Henry Bellmann and a selection of engines. They started up a small Bluffton-made model that was probably used to run a clothes washing machine among other labor saving devices.

The first Bluffton Fall Festival took place in 2004 at Mennonite Memorial Home and Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio continues to be the main promoter of the event.

Ready to save the date for next year? It will be held on September 26, 2026.

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