Last Saturday was Ada's favorite fall event. This weekend it's Bluffton's. It's the 13th annual Bluffton Fall Festival.
All activities are free unless otherwise designated. Food and other items are available for purchase at multiple locations. There will be busses traveling between all locations at scheduled intervals.
See posted signs at the “bus stop” at each location for the schedule and at:
• Facebook at facebook.com/BlufftonFallFest or www.blufftonfallfestival.com.
Here’s the schedule, by location:
Maple Crest Senior Living Village, 700 Maple Crest Ct.
• Antique tractor show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Live Music by Jon Kuhns, 11 a.m.-11:45 a.m.; Jim Boedecker, 1 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
• Cornhole Tournament (pre-registration required – see website for more details) 9:00 a.m. until finished
• Kiddie tractor pull, registration 12:30-1 p.m., pull starts 1 p.m.
• Fishing derby (bait and poles provided), 2-3:30 p.m.
• Food for sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Mennonite Memorial Home, 410 W. Elm St.
• Silent auction. Items viewed in lobby. Bids accepted from Sept. 19 to noon on Sept. 24.
• Bake sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., or until sold out. Proceeds benefit the volunteer Service Group.
• Kid’s activities – straw dig, kiddie train ride, lawn jenga, cornhole toss, face painting and more, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Food for sale, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Fun photo booth, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Horse-drawn carriage rides between Mennonite Memorial Home and downtown Bluffton, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Outdoor Bingo (no cash prizes), 3 - 4 pm.
• Kettle corn for sale, maple syrup for sale, soaps and lotions for sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Music: Jerry Szabo Trio, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Elaine Wehri, 1 – 2 p.m.
Downtown Bluffton
Main Street retail district - Many businesses will be open, some with sales. A farmers’ market with over 25 vendors open from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Citizens National Bank (102 S. Main) parking lot.
Swiss Community Historical Society Homestead, 8350 Bixel Road
Bluffton Scrap Artists quilt show, farm animal exhibits, straw bale maze and other kid’s games, corn shelling, bread-baking, needle crafts, open-fire meat roasting, popcorn popping, soup cooking, old-time rural crafts, wagon rides, horse plowing, Swiss-German music, historical exhibits, food for sale and more. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
BFR Sports and Fitness, 215 Snider Road
4th annual Craft and Home Business Expo. Booths of gifts and specialty items and vendors. Past Expos have included home improvement, quilts, handmade furniture, glassware, patchwork animals, crocheted items, fair-trade jewelry, and more. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free.
Bluffton Hospital, 139 Garau St.
Pony rides, face painting, inflatables for kids, kids “make your own first aid kit,” pumpkin decorating and light refreshments. Transportation provided between downtown, BFR Sports and Fitness and the hospital during the day. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
