MANSFIELD — The Christmas season is upon us and with it, a cornucopia of festive activities throughout Richland County.
Looking to make the next two months memorable? We’ve compiled a Yuletide list below:
There’s something for everyone
Snap a festive photo for free at Main Branch of the Richland County Public Library. The holiday photo backdrop is located in the second floor lobby during regular business hours from November 14 thru Dec. 20 Bring your own camera and festive outfits.
Meet furry friends. Christmas at Alpaca Meadows runs daily, Nov. 15 through Dec. 23rd, from noon to 4 p.m. Stop by the farm store for unique gifts like goat’s milk soap, birdhouses and a variety of alpaca wool products including alpaca blankets, winter wear, socks, shawls and sweaters. Don’t forget to say hello to the alpacas, Angora goats and Angora rabbits that live on the farm.
Take a holiday-themed art class. Classes are available at the Mansfield Art Center and S&S Second Chances Art and Craft Studio. Check individual websites for class availability, pricing, dates and times.
Attend Shelby’s Parade of Lights and Moments of Christmas Magic on Nov. 26 at Glen’s Surplus. The day begins with Breakfast with Santa, provided by the Shelby FFA, from 10 a.m. to noon. Kleerview Farms Reindeer and Shelby Joe’s Sloppy Joe Tasting will follow from noon to 2 p.m. Kids can get pictures with Santa from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The evening concludes with a parade down Main Street at 6 p.m.
Attend a community Christmas Tree Lighting. There are several options across Richland County including Ontario’s Marshall Park (Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.) and Mansfield’s Christmas Time in the City, which features carriage rides and photos with Santa at Richland Carrousel Park (Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m.)
Head to Plymouth for Christmas in the Village, Dec. 1 from noon to 10 p.m. and Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event features a small business shopping market, food truck and beverage vendors, Christmas Spirits Tent, Santa and his reindeer and a 1,500 square foot ice rink. Other highlights include a parade of lights and tree lighting, fireworks, carriage rides on Friday and train rides on Saturday.
Eat soup while supporting the arts at the Mansfield Art Center’s Soupe Au Fair fundraiser, Dec. 4 through 15. Treat yourself to homemade soup and delicious desserts served in the Foundation Gallery.
Bellville’s Annual Yule Log and Tree Lighting will take place Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the bandstand. Visitors can expect hot drinks, cookies, music and a visit from Santa and his reindeer. The festivities will continue on Dec. 9 with a Christmas parade at 11 a.m.. A Christmas get-together will follow in the township building (the old fire station). Stop by for hot cocoa, cookies, hot dogs, kids crafts, carriage rides and a visit from Santa.
Explore Bethlehem at Clear Fork Alliance Church, 1008 St. Rt. 97 East in Bellville. Experience the Christmas story live as you travel through scenes telling of the birth of Jesus and experience the sights and sounds of the town of Bethlehem as you follow the star to the manger. Tours are available Dec. 8 and 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Embrace the paranormal with Blood Prison Christmas at the Ohio State Reformatory. Celebrate the holidays with the Warden’s widow and all the guards and inmates on Dec. 9 and 10.
Create holiday magic for kids
Stop by the Richland Carrousel Park’s Christmas Open House. The open house is Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The first 50 kids to arrive will receive a door prize. The café will be open from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., offering cookies, hot dogs, brats, chips and more Free coffee all day.
Meet the Grinch while giving back. The Grinch will stop by Playtime Dental and Braces on Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a new toy or cash donation to get a professional photo with him. All donations will go to the domestic violence shelter and local families in need this holiday season.
Sluss Realty, Shady Lane Alpacas and the YMCA will jointly host a Meet the Characters of Christmas event Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3073 Gass Road in Lexington. This free event includes a meet-and-greet with Minnie and Mickey, a Christmas minion, Buddy the Elf, the Elf on the Shelf, Santa, Ana and Elsa, the Abominable Snowman and Frosty. There will also be free alpaca Christmas cookies and hot chocolate to the first 500 guests, Christmas activities, a petting zoo and music.
See Santa’s reindeer every weekend, weather permitting, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Kleerview Farm. The season begins the weekend after Thanksgiving and ends Dec. 20.
Take little shoppers to the Tiny Tim Shoppe. Every year, Downtown Mansfield, Inc. provides children 12 and under with a place to purchase gifts for loved ones.
Volunteers assist young shoppers with selecting and wrapping their gifts. The shop has a variety of gifts that are suitable for friends and family of all ages for $15 or less.
Participation is free but pre-registration is required. Visit Downtown Mansfield Inc. for more information or click here to reserve a time slot.
Holiday home tours
Mansfield’s gothic gem Oak Hill Cottage is open Sundays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. through New Year’s Eve. The cottage will not be open on Christmas Eve. Entry is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
Oak Hill also offers themed tours during the holidays. Meet the former residents of the home during “Ghosts of Christmas Past” on Dec. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. Or see Oak Hill under the soft glow of the Gaslight Tours on Dec. 8 and 15.
Reservations are required for Gaslight Tours. Regular entry fees apply.
Malabar Farm State Park will offer Candlelight Holiday Tours of Louis Bromfield’s Big House on Dec 1-3 and 8-10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cookies and warm drinks are included in the ticket price. Entry is $6 for adults and $4 for youth.
The Herlihy Christmas Open House takes place Dec 7-10 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 170 W. Second Street. The private family home is open for tours every other year. Expect more than 30 Christmas trees, tens of thousands of lights, hundreds of Santa decorations, villages, trains and much more.
A minimum $2 donation is required; all donations will go to local animal shelters and the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program. Visitors can park in the Herlihy Funeral Home parking lot. This event is not handicap accessible and does not offer public restrooms.
See the lights and mansion during Christmas at Kingwood. This beloved Christmas tradition includes entry to the late Charles Kelley King’s three story mansion, with each room decked out in a themed display.
Stroll through the gardens and view the outdoor light display, including 20-feet high light trees. Don’t forget to visit the community tree walk, featuring 50 live trees decorated by local businesses and organizations.
Take in a holiday show
The Renaissance Theater has several events lined up, including the “We Wish You a Jazzy Christmas” with the Artistic Jazz Orchestra on Dec. 2, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra & Chorus Holiday Pops concert on Dec. 16 and the Youth Orchestra’s Holiday Prelude on Dec. 17.
Angela Iannone will grace the stage of Theater 166 in A Christmas Carol — One Woman. A Whole Host of Characters. on Dec. 8, 9 and 10. The one woman show offers a unique retelling of the classic holiday tale.
The Mansfield Playhouse will offer an adaptation of Dicken’s famous work with A Christmas Carol: Every man has the power to do good by James Hutchison on Dec. 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17. You’ll meet Mr. Bentley, learn about the letters Scrooge wrote to his sister Fan, and find out who Mr. Newbury is.
You’ll still find all the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future along with Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Old Fezziwig, Scrooge’s nephew Fred, and the love of Scrooge’s life, Belle.
There are some new scary bits, a few good laughs, a tender moment or two, and some surprises. It’s a fresh take on an old tale sure to thrill young and old alike.
Richland Academy of the Arts will present The Nutcracker on Dec. 9 and 10 on the main stage of the Renaissance Theater.
Say hello to Santa
Santa will visit the Richland Carrousel Park on Nov. 18, 19, 25, 26 and Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23. Photos with Santa are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $5 each. Visitors will receive 1 printed copy and be able to take photos with their own camera.
Der Dutchman will host Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Dec. 2. The event includes a hot chocolate bar, scavenger hunt and breakfast buffet. Entry is free for children 2 and under, $10 for children 3 to 10 years old and $13 for adults.
The Black Dog Tavern and Deer Ridge Golf Club will host a Pancake Breakfast Buffet with Santa Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Reservations are required. Entry is $12.95 for adults and $9.95 for children.
Breakfast includes eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, home fries and a choice of milk, orange choir or coffee. Call 419-886-7090 for reservations or more information.
Lexington Kiwanis will host Pancakes with Santa Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Lexington High School cafeteria. Admission is free for children 12 and under and $7 for adults.
Santa Claus will stop by Kingwood Center Gardens on Dec. 2 and 3 from 4 to 8 p.m. and his reindeer will stop by on Dec. 28 and 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
The Richland Outreach Center will host its 8th Annual Cookies with Santa event Dec. 9 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Malabar Intermediate School.
Kids can visit different stations including cookie decorating, games, stockings, a hot chocolate bar, pictures with Santa, music, craft and full course Christmas dinner. Every child will leave with a new toy, new hat and gloves.
This event is open to the first 1,000 kids who arrive.
Old Saint Nick will be at the Crestline Public Library on Dec. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free to the public and will feature grades activities and light refreshments.
Santa will be available for photos at the Richland Mall daily from Nov. 24 through Christmas Eve. Pre-reservations are required. Visit the mall’s website for more details.
Unique ways to shop
Shop local from anywhere with the 2023 North Central Ohio Holiday Gift Guide
Support small businesses during Small Business Saturday throughout the season.
Kingwood Garden and Gift Shop will host a holiday market Nov. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. King Ballroom is will house nearly 20 local artisans, who will be selling their handcrafted jewelry, pottery, teas, artwork, and more.
The Garden & Gift Shop will be offering 50 percent off many items. The Gateway Café will offer “Build a Burger” special for $5.
The 4th Annual Holiday Sip & Shop Market returns to the Richland County Fairgrounds, Nov. 24 from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Nov. 25 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday will feature a winter wonderland extravaganza with reindeer, carriage rides, Santa, the Grinch and food trucks.
The Ontario Craft Show takes place Dec. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Richland County Fairgrounds, featuring 126 vendors with homemade crafts.
Butler’s Christmas in the Village is Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 111 West Elm Street. Around 60 vendors will be selling custom products including apparel, jewelry, home decor, soap, candles, wood crafts, maple syrup and donuts. $1 entry.
St. Mary School in Shelby will host a Christmas Bazaar on Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Purchase some famous homemade noodles and bake goods, homemade candies and raffle tickets.
The event will also feature a cookie walk and appearance by Santa and the balloon lady from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Shop for one-of-a-kind gifts at the Mansfield Art Center’s 54th annual holiday fair, which runs from Nov. 17 thru Dec. 24 during regular business hours.
The 54th Annual Holiday Fair showcases the work of local artists & makers, as well as a wonderful variety of sourced gift items from small businesses around the globe.
