Heritage Crafts and Wagon Rides Headline Saturday's Fall Slate
Kalida, OH · September 25, 2026
A quiet layer of fog hangs over the lawn this morning, but expect plenty of energy by evening. The varsity boys soccer team takes the pitch against Continental tonight to kick off a packed autumn weekend.
The Lead
Fall festival season reaches full stride across Putnam County this weekend, highlighted by Saturday’s 21st annual Bluffton Fall Festival and open-house heritage festivities at the Schumacher Homestead. Located just down the road on Bixel Road between Bluffton and Pandora, the 1843 homestead will welcome families from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM for live demonstrations of blacksmithing, tinsmithing, and wood carving alongside horse-drawn wagon rides and an outdoor straw maze. Visitors can tour the restored Swiss farmhouse and the new Heritage Center while enjoying fresh kettle-cooked popcorn, warm bean soup, and homemade apple butter. In neighboring downtown Bluffton, complimentary family activities, an antique tractor show, and an apple pie contest round out the celebration. Pack comfortable footwear for the farm paths and aim to arrive before the hot lunch service wraps up.
Local Pulse
Wildcats Host Continental for Senior Night Match Schools Seniors take the field at 5:55 PM before varsity kickoff, welcoming local fans for Putnam County League action.
Culvert Work Extends Route 190 Closure Roads Wet weather has pushed back the reopening between Road R and Road Q until mid-October.
Today's Outlook
- High 69°F · Low 45°F — Fog
- Give yourself extra travel time during the morning fog, and keep a jacket handy.
What's On Around Town
Today
Home & Garden Hot Topics OSU Extension Office (1206 E 2nd St), Ottawa, 9:00–10:00 AM · Free Master gardener tips on preparing your landscape for late autumn.
Friday Night Lights Couples Outing Moose Landing Country Club (17374 State Route 694), Ottawa, 5:30 PM Casual nine-hole couples scramble to wrap up the workweek.
Wildcats Boys Soccer vs. Continental Kalida High School (301 N 3rd St), 6:00 PM Senior night celebration kicks off this classic Putnam County League match.
Tomorrow
- Schumacher Homestead Fall Festival Schumacher Homestead (8350 Bixel Rd), Pandora, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM · Free
- Antique Tractor Show Maple Crest (700 Maple Crest Ct), Bluffton, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM · Free
- Bluffton Fall Festival Downtown Bluffton, Bluffton, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Ruth Hermiller
- As branch coordinator for 28 years from 1988 to 2016, she guided the Kalida library through its pivotal 2011 relocation from the municipal building into the school administration wing, doubling the floor plan to create the dedicated children's reading room.
Kalida Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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