Bluffton's Fall Festival is back

BLUFFTON — Bluffton's 20th annual Fall Festival returns this Saturday with family-oriented activities scheduled throughout the community, with most running between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival was originally created in 2004 by Julie Stratton, former director of marketing for Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio, as a way for nursing home residents at Mennonite Memorial Homes to stay engaged in the wider community. "It was programmed for just the elders here at our Mennonite Memorial Home Campus," Chief Operating Officer MHCO Daren Lee said. "We wanted to bring the community in and really give residents that live at our facility the opportunity to reach out in a way that they may not have been able to do otherwise." Over the years, the event has evolved into a community wide tradition that brings in hundreds of visitors to Bluffton each fall. "We always look forward to these opportunities to draw people into Bluffton who may not otherwise visit," Lee said. Original participants in the festival included Mennonite Memorial Home, Maple Crest, Bluffton Hospital, and the Swiss Homestead. Over time many more organizations and businesses joined in, with new activities added to Vine Street this year. For the second year in a row, the Bluffton Craft Show will be held the same day as the Fall Festival. Now in its 52nd year, the show will take place at the Bluffton High School and Middle School gymnasium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. "I encourage everyone to take a look at all of the stops during the festival," Lee said. "There's a wide variety of activities, from food trucks to pumpkin paintings to an antique tractor show, there's a wide variety of things happening that day." While each group creates their own events, MHCO handles most of the coordinating and marketing. "We have a great organization here that's deeply a part of the community and Bluffton itself, being a small town, has a tremendous amount to offer," Lee said. "We hope that the festival continues to grow and be a hidden gem in Northwest Ohio." Free parking will be available at all locations. All events are free unless otherwise noted. The 2025 Fall Festival schedule includes: • Cars & Coffee 902 N. Main St., Masterpiece Signs, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. • Farmer's Market 102 S. Main St., 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. • 52nd Annual Bluffton Craft Show Bluffton High School & Middle School, 142 S. Jackson St., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Fall Family Fun by Bluffton University Campus, at the corner of Spring and College Ave, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Live music at Bluffton Presbyterian Church Gazebo Freddie Neal and One Voice, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Food trucks Main St. Merchants, 10,000 Villages, Furry Tales Mobile Workshop, Roots by Stattons, Shirley's Popcorn, and The Black Lab Trading Company, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Maple Crest Events (700 Maple Crest Ct.) Ottawa Hearing Aid Center, 10 am to 12 pm (Maple Crest living rm), Service Group bake sale, 10 am until sold out (lower east parking lot), antique tractor show, 10am to 3pm (front yard), fishing derby, 11am to 12 pm (main pond, poles/bait provided), children's activity center, 11 am to 1 pm, food for sale, 11am to 3 pm (lower east parking lot), live music: Jim Boedicker, 11 am to 12 pm and The Usual Suspects, 2 pm to 3pm (lower east parking lot), kiddie tractor pull, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., registration 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm (lower east parking lot), resident golf cart rides, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (front porch). • Vine Street activities (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Lanagan Family Finds, Boba Tea Bar, Lizzie's Lemon and Limeade Stand, Pumpkin Painting with Bluffton Art Company, Bluffton Baking Co., Touch a Truck with Bluffton EMA, and outdoor games including axe throwing, putting green, cornhole, etc. • Schumacher Homestead, presented by the Swiss Community Historical Society 8350 Bixel Road, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Farm animals, hay bale maze, corn shelling, horse wagon rides, fishing in Riley Creek, homemade food and treats, and tours of the new Heritage Center. • Bluffton Library Used Book Sale 145 S. Main Street, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.