Mount Blanchard prepares to spread Christmas cheer

MOUNT BLANCHARD — Mount Blanchard will kick off the holiday season on Saturday with its Christmas in the Village celebration. Visitors will enjoy many of their past favorites like bingo, cake walks, a petting zoo and horse-drawn wagon rides. Santa will also visit, arriving on an antique firetruck during the parade, while a fireworks show is new this year. Christmas in the Village will be held from 2-7 p.m. along Main Street and at the Mount Blanchard United Methodist Church. The event attracts 500-700 people annually. The owners of two new businesses in town - Moore Than Just BBQ and Born 2 Party – said they are looking forward to taking part in the seasonal fun for the first time. "I'm excited. This is the first one of these we've done," said Jacob Moore, who owns/operates the restaurant along with his wife, Chanthong "Noy," and his brother, Seth Moore. The eatery at 108 N. Main St. will be open during the festival for hungry attendees. There will also be a craft-making section for children. Moore has been involved in the food industry for about 14 years, starting with a food truck and then opening a restaurant in Kenton. After meeting John and Cheryl Larbus, owners of the Buffalo Trading Co. and Ghost Town, he began the trek north, found the space in Mount Blanchard and opened Moore Than Just BBQ in November. Born 2 Party is an event and wedding planning business belonging to Mark and Terri Born. A small venue in the back of the business at 106 N. Main St. will eventually seat about 75 people. "We're excited to be a part of the community. I'm really excited about this," said Terri. Santa and Mrs. Claus will talk to children at the business after the parade until 7 p.m. The Borns will also offer cookie decorating and donuts. The couple, both of whom are Riverdale High School alumni, started doing weddings five or six years ago. Since then, they have been collecting items to help control wedding costs. "And we outgrew our garage, attic and basement," Terri laughed. "We want to take part in the community," she added. "We have big plans for the back. We're going to do stuff with the community and the kids." Ideas may include themed nights for local youth and a place for crafters. "I'm excited about both these new businesses because it's good for them, and it's good for us. And we like to support them when we can," said Jackie Porcello. Porcello is one of the founding members of the Beautification Committee that organizes the festival and takes on improvement projects in the village. She said the inaugural Christmas in the Village in 2012 featured tours of five homes and two churches along with horse-drawn carriage rides, a relay race and Santa arriving on a firetruck. Except for two years when the event was canceled due to COVID, a Christmas festival has been held with the downtown area dressed in its best holiday attire. "I just get happy when snowflakes (decorations) go up. I get happy when they go up, not when they come down. And when the pool opens," said Porcello. "Its small town living but it makes you happy." The first year was magical, she recalled. It was 60 degrees out and a crowd came to the homes tour. "There weren't nearly as many decorations as we have now because we've collected," she said. The wooden toy soldiers have become the town's signature decoration. They were made by Butch Bycinski, who started the town's collection with a Santa and a snowman. They now have an assortment of 50-60 cutouts of Santas, snowmen, elves and polar bears to display, she said. Next year they've asked Bycinski to make eight life-size reindeer for Hurricane Park. "Sometimes he has his grandkids help him paint and they're really kind of sick of soldiers," Porcello said. "But if we put one on every pole, we still need 40." Memorial Square is decorated with lights that are synchronized to music played on a car radio. Light poles are festooned with garland, and flower pots are filled with greenery. Each also has a lantern that lights up at night. A parade kicks things off at 2 p.m., starting at Legacy, 318 High St., heading south on Main Street and ending at Hurricane Park. Both the Riverdale High School marching band and choir will perform in the parade. There will also be floats, baton twirlers, Santa, the Grinch, elves and firetrucks. A large heated tent was rented last year and placed off the main square to provide a warm area for people, said Porcello. Other offerings in the tent will include children's crafts, raffles, a DJ playing Christmas music and village officials who will be available to talk with visitors. Meanwhile, the church will be the site of vendors. The local Boy Scout troop will be making its traditional chili. Entertainment at the church will include: Melly with Squint and the Merry Belles, 3-3:30 p.m.; children's music, 3:30-4 p.m.; Isaac and Mariko Weese, 4-4:30 p.m.; Allie Rader, 4:30-5 p.m.; Tim Kelly and Jennifer Moser, 5-5:30 p.m.; Riverdale High School Choir, 5:30-6 p.m.; Broken Ground, 6-6:30 p.m.; and Mount Blanchard United Methodist Church Choir and the Riverdale High School Choir, 6:30-7 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 7 p.m. at Hurricane Park, said Porcello, adding that the show can be viewed from the church, 204 S. Main St.