BELLVILLE, Ohio – In need of a little Christmas spirit? Then the picturesque village of Bellville is the place to be tonight for the Candlelight Christmas Concert, and Saturday morning for the Christmas parade, complete with Santa and horse-drawn carriage rides.
“If you haven’t been to Bellville during Christmas, this is the year to come,” said Bellville Mayor Darrell Banks. “We are decorated up; our bandstand is looking beautiful.”
The annual lighting of the Yule Log by Cub Scout Pack 126 kicked off the first of this week’s holiday events Thursday night. The evening was filled with music, food, and fun as friends and neighbors came together to enjoy the holiday cheer.
The crowd applauded as the bandstand’s festive lights began to twinkle, signifying the beginning of the evening’s events. Jeff Mussman, incoming president of the Clear Fork Valley Chamber of Commerce, thanked Ryan Wine, Chris Hollar, and Jacob Flynn of the Bellville Street Department for their work in decorating the bandstand.
Cub Scout Pack 126 lit the Yule Log and had a cheerful blaze in no time, “to keep us warm and start the Christmas Season in the Clear Fork Valley,” as Mussman put it.
Cub Scout Ethan Hull, age 7, enjoyed being part of the annual Yule Log event. He said his favorite song was “Jingle Bells” as the Clear Fork High School Brass Ensemble began to play.
Bundled against the cold, visitors and villagers warmed themselves with hot chocolate, donated by V&M Restaurant, holiday wassail provided by the Clear Fork Valley Chamber of Commerce, or coffee provided by Brumby’s Coffee House and Pizzeria. Cookies were provided by Fast Eddie’s Pizza.
The Clear Fork High School’s Artisans Choir, under the direction of Karen Feasel, entertained the crowd with carols as children lined up to visit with Santa, convincingly portrayed by Ron Burgess, a member of Buckeye Santas.
Children gathered to hear Bellville Elementary School Principal Steve Bloir read “The Night Before Christmas,” helping him along by filling in parts of the famous poem.
The Christmas festivities continue this evening, beginning at 7 p.m. at the bandstand on Main Street. The Jimmy Warner Band will perform and luminaries, decorated by local children, will illuminate the area.
Saturday morning will see the parade step off at 11 a.m., where Santa will make his appearance. After the parade, Santa will be available to hear Christmas wishes at the bandstand.
The old firehouse on Main Street will be open until 2 p.m. with crafts for children as well as hot chocolate and cookies. Free horse drawn carriage rides will be available from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., as well, offering a short drive through the village.
Banks noted that the village has a lot of holiday spirit to offer, and all are welcome.
“We have the new Wishmaker House, and all the downtown business windows are painted to celebrate the Christmas season,” he said. “Some were painted by a fifth grade class and many were painted by professional artists.”
Visitors may vote for their favorite holiday window decoration while visiting the downtown merchants, who will hold an open house after the parade to help visitors get a start on Christmas shopping.
“It’s just a beautiful scene here in downtown Bellville, and we’d love to have everyone come down and take a look at us during the Christmas season,” said Banks.
