Blaze of Lights celebration set

BLUFFTON — The 37th annual Blaze of Lights holiday celebration, including the lighting of the Ream collection of vintage Christmas folk art, will be held Saturday in downtown Bluffton. The Ream display and thousands of lights in the surrounding trees are available for nightly viewing on the lawn of Bluffton Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main St, from Saturday through Jan. 1. The community joins in the Blaze spirit with numerous residential holiday light displays and folk art decorations throughout the village. Activities Saturday will include Small Business Saturday specials at downtown businesses and carolers on Main Street. One of the largest holiday parades in the area begins on Snider Road at 5 p.m. and travels up Main Street to College Avenue. Following the parade, entertainment will be offered on the main stage. At 6:30 p.m., the lighting ceremony will begin with the reading of the Christmas story followed by the lighting of the Ream display. After the parade, attendees can visit Santa, ride the Romick Railway and ride the Allen County RTA Trolley for a tour of decorated homes, all at no charge. The Johnny Appleseed Park District will also be on hand at the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center with displays and a project for children. The Blaze After Lighting returns this year with selections of beer, bourbon pours, spiced wine and hot chocolate, along with local food vendors and live country music by Wastin' Neon under a heated tent on Vine Street. The celebration is sponsored by the Village of Bluffton and Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.explorebluffton.com or contact Jim Enneking, Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, at 419-369-2985.