Christmas in the Village returns with skating rink

MOUNT BLANCHARD — Dig your ice skates out of the closet and take them along to Mount Blanchard's annual Christmas in the Village on Saturday. Free ice skating on a synthetic rink will make its debut at the holiday event that will be held from 2-7 p.m. along Main Street and at Mount Blanchard United Methodist Church. The event annually attracts about 1,000 people, according to Jackie Porcello, one of the founding members of the Beautification Committee which organizes the celebration and takes on improvement projects in the village. Colored lights, wooden cutouts and 6-foot lighted snowflakes hanging on the telephone poles along Main Street add to the magic of the festival. "It's a nice time to highlight our small, quaint village. We love Christmas," Porcello said. The festival started in 2012. New displays are added each year. "And if you don't make it for the festival, the whole town will be lit up until New Year's so still stop out and see all the decorations," she said. A parade will kick off the fest at 2 p.m. Saturday, starting at Legacy, 318 High St., and heading south. Santa, the Grinch and the Abominable Snow Monster from the Rudolph Christmas cartoon will all be featured in the parade along with Mayor Cynthia Morrison and Village Administrator Gavin Wilson. The Riverdale High School Band will provide music. Porcello said a number of fire departments are also bringing their trucks. Visitors can catch up with Santa later at Santa's House, 106 N. Main St. Children will receive a treat. There will also be cookie decorating there beginning after the parade and continuing until 7 p.m. Santa's Workshop, at Moore Than Just BBQ, will have a craft-making section for kids following the parade. Two large heated tents will again be downtown so people have a place to warm up if it's cold. The tents will be set up just off the main square in town. People will be able to buy tickets there for horse-drawn wagon rides. The tents will also be the location for bingo from 2:30-5 p.m.; kids' crafts from 3-5 p.m., a disc jockey playing Christmas music; a meet and greet with Morrison and Wilson; and a cake walk at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Members of the Riverdale FFA will run bingo and cake walk. A display of lights set to music can be found at Memorial Park. People can sit in their cars and watch the show from 5-7 p.m. The display will continue until New Year's. A 20- by 40-foot ice skating rink will be set up on West Clay Street next to Memorial Park. Porcello said the company they rented the rink from will provide about 50 pairs of skates. However donated skates will also be accepted. "We've been planning to do ice skating for a while, so I've been collecting skates when I see them at garage sales and stuff, so I'll take my skates," she said. "I probably have about 10 pairs." She said the skating rink is replacing fireworks during the event. "We need to come up with new ideas every year so that was this year's," Porcello said. "We try to have something new. We're small. Our budget is $15,000 to $20,000, so it's not cheap. But we can't do everything. We have to feature something." Visit Findlay and the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation are sponsoring the skating rink, she said. Sleigh rides will be offered from 4-7 p.m., across from Memorial Park. A petting zoo and train rides will be available from 2-7 p.m. at 100 E. Clay St. For hungry visitors, several food vendors will be parked at 100 S. Main St. and at the church, 204 S. Main St. The Boy Scouts will also be making chili and hot chocolate at the church. Craft vendors will be found at the Born to Party building which is also heated. Musical performances are scheduled in the sanctuary of the church starting at 3 p.m. with The Merribelles. The schedule includes the MellyPop! Puppet Show, 3:30 p.m.; a piano concert featuring Teresa Broseke, 4 p.m.; the song stylings of Allie Rader, 4:30 p.m.; music with Isaac Weese, 5 p.m.; music with Tina Kelly, 5:30 p.m.; Riverdale High School Choir, 6 p.m.; and the church Chancel Choir and Riverdale High School Choir & Friends, 6:30 p.m. Porcello said an Amish pie sale is held at Easter and Thanksgiving to help raise funds for the festival. Anyone interested in being a sponsor can call her at 419-306-3073.