Hey, did you all know it’s the holiday season? Just kidding, we know you’ve been aware of this since before Halloween. Good news is that it’s just starting so we’re all still in the holidays-are-so-magical stage. Here’s a lineup of holiday- and Christmas-related events (plus a few others) that are going on in our little corner of the world this month.
Candlelight Christmas
This is a hugely popular event in Bucyrus and for good reason. Sometimes the weather cooperates just right and we get a slightly chilly evening and a soft dusting of snow to put
everyone in a cheery mood. It also helps that downtown Bucyrus is lit up with Christmas decorations on the streetlights and storefronts and creative holiday luminaries (who can forget Norman Niche’s ice luminaries?!).
Aside from the perfect small town setting, what makes Candlelight Christmas so special? It’s because downtown businesses keep their doors open through the evening with Christmas specials and a “shop local” theme. Add in a sprinkle of carriage rides, a dash of Christmas carolers, a sip of hot chocolate, and you’ll be in the perfect holiday mood.
Candlelight Christmas takes place from 5 – 8 p.m. on Dec. 1.
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‘Narnia’
Don your faux-fur coats and get ready to step through the wardrobe because ‘Narnia’ is coming to town. The Bucyrus Little Theatre is putting on a production of the story based on C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
‘Narnia’ is being directed by Candy Boyd with assistance from Ryan Shealy. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2, 3, and 9 and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 11. The show is being presented at Bucyrus Little Theatre, 130 Songer Ave. For more information, call the Box Office at 419-562-0731 or visit the Bucyrus Little Theatre Facebook page or its website.
Jan Brett Author Event
Jan Brett is a beloved children’s author and she’s coming to Bucyrus! Can you believe it?! We can’t either and right now we’re digging for our copies of The Mitten and The Hat to get signed.
Brett is going to be at Bucyrus Elementary School beginning at 5 p.m. on Dec. 2 where she will give a 20-minute presentation. After that – it’s book signing time! The event is free and open to the public. The first 100 families in line will receive a free signed Jan Brett poster.
If you’re missing a copy of a Brett book, never fear! BES has teamed up with the Mansfield Barnes and Noble store to sell books at the event and a percentage of the proceeds will benefit the BES library.
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National Mutt Day
Mutts. We love ‘em, you love ‘em, the Crawford Park District loves ‘em. Which is why we’re excited the Park District is hosting a walk through Lowe-Volk Park for National Mutt Day. Your pup must stay on a leash and make sure to be a good fur-mom/dad and pick up any messes left behind (you know what we’re talking about). When you’re done with the (wo)man and best friend stroll, make sure to stop inside the Nature Center for a doggie treat. The Humane Society Serving Crawford County will also be on hand with info they have on dogs available for adoption.
National Mutt Day will take place from 3 – 5 p.m. on Dec. 2 at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 Ohio 598.
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Come Home to Galion
Since Bucyrus already welcomed everyone home for Christmas, it’ll be Galion’s turn just a couple of days later and there’s a full slate of events on Dec. 3.
Entertainment at the Public Square begins at 1 p.m. The Galion Public Library will be hosting numerous events from 1 – 3 p.m. for its Polynesian-themed open house while the Gill House will have crafts and photos for those who show up dressed as a Star Wars character between 1 and 3 p.m. The Galion Historical Society will be having its own open house from 1 – 3:30 p.m.
For kids who enjoy the Elf on a Shelf game, make sure to join in The Great Elf Hunt from 1 – 5 p.m. The hunt begins at the library where kids can pick up their participation forms and look for the first elf. After that, you’ll stop in at the participating businesses to find the other ones. Get all the details for the game here.
Looking for the perfect Christmas carriage ride through Uptowne? Then line up in front of the library between 1 and 3 p.m.
The Come Home to Galion Parade steps off at 4:15 p.m. and goes from Heise Park to Uptowne Galion. Grand Marshal for this year’s parade is Vic Smith – but don’t forget to catch a glimpse of Old Saint Nick!
The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place after the parade and will feature singer Sarah Hider.
Get the full schedule of events here and keep up to date with the Come Home to Galion Facebook page.
And in case you didn’t get enough of Christmas cheer, the Galion Church of the Nazarene will be hosting a movie night with The Polar Express from 6 – 9 p.m.
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Crestline Memory Tree Lighting
Santa already made a stop in Crestline, but now the village is really getting into the holiday spirit. The annual Memory Tree Lighting Ceremony is set for 7 p.m. on Dec. 8 at Crestline Village Hall.
Order forms for lights to honor a living loved one or to remember a deceased loved one are on sale until Dec. 5 in order to be included in the lighting ceremony. All proceeds are used for civic projects in Crestline.
The Crestline Community Development Team is sponsoring the lighting of the Memory Tree.
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Bucyrus Fire Department Toy Drive
It’s one of the biggest toy drives in the area and for good reason – the Bucyrus Fire Department works hard to bring cheer to local kids. This year’s annual Toy Drive will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 10 and there will be a ton of drop-off sites around town (Bucyrus Fire Department, Kroger, Family Farm & Home, etc.). Firefighters will be accepting donations of new toys, food items, and monetary gifts.
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‘The Lion King, Jr.’
‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year!’ And the reason we’re proclaiming this is 
because we’re getting a double dose of community theater musicals this month. BLT got us started with ‘Narnia’ and the Crawford Theatre Company is serving up one of our favorite childhood memories with ‘Disney’s The Lion King Jr.’
There’s a big cast and we can’t wait to see Timon and Pumbaa. And Simba and Nala. Or Mufasa and Scar. And Zazu. Oh, oh, and Ed, Shenzi, Banzai. RAFIKI, guys. Just admit that you’re as excited as we are.
Performances will take place in the Bucyrus Elks Ballroom, 309 E. Mansfield St., at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 11 and at 5 p.m. on Dec. 11. Seating is reserved so make sure to get tickets at MB Subculture in Bucyrus or call 419-562-0404.
For more information visit www.crawfordtheatrecompany.com or check out their Facebook page.
Sports
There are a number of big sporting events this month. Bucyrus’ annual wrestling invitational and Buckeye Central’s wrestling invite are on Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. at their respective schools and Colonel Crawford’s swim relays are at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17.
As for boys basketball, here are some interesting games: Buckeye Central is heading to New Riegel on Dec. 17 (“Ribs and roundball!” yells our fearless leader Gary Ogle), the Royals and the Eagles will be battling it out once again on Dec. 17 at Colonel Crawford (one of our favorite basketball rivalries), and Bucyrus is at Colonel Crawford on Dec. 23.
On the girls side of things, Gary said two of the exciting match-ups this month will be Mohawk at Wynford on Dec. 22 and Carey at Buckeye Central on Dec. 29.