Illuminated Night Trains and Stage Comedy Anchor the Weekend
Kalida, OH · October 23, 2026
Frost is lingering on the lawn furniture early, but the regional calendar is heating up fast. Grab a thermos before heading out for Friday night lights and evening shows.
The Lead
Crisp late-October air and peak fall colors are setting the backdrop for a weekend packed with family outings across our corner of Northwest Ohio. The marquee draw kicks off tonight with the opening runs of the Halloween Express at the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation in Findlay. Riders of all ages board quarter-scale trains for a dusk ride past hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns and illuminated displays along the tracks. Just down the road, live entertainment takes over local stages, from the interactive comedy run of "Villain: DeBlanks!" at Ohio State Lima’s Reed Hall to Saturday night tribute concerts and lantern-lit walking tours. With several regional youth squads and marching bands also facing high-stakes Saturday invitationals before state finals next week, bleachers and venues alike will fill quickly. Reserving tickets early online saves time at the gate and guarantees a warm seat when the evening chill settles in.
Local Pulse
Marching Band Heads to Maumee Invitational Schools Musicians travel Saturday for their final competitive regular-season performance before state finals next weekend.
State Route 613 Reopens Following Repairs Roads Transportation crews finished emergency roadway fixes, restoring regular traffic flow across northern Putnam County Thursday afternoon.
Today's Outlook
- High 67°F · Low 37°F — Overcast
- Keep a warm jacket handy for the evening as overcast skies cool off quickly.
What's On Around Town
Today
Wild Horse and Burro Placement Allen County Fairgrounds (2750 Harding Hwy), Lima, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM · Free View and adopt wild mustangs and burros from western public lands.
Halloween Express Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation (12505 County Road 99), Findlay, 6:30–9:00 PM · $3 Family-friendly evening train ride through whimsical illuminated holiday displays.
"Villain: DeBlanks!" Comedy Show Reed Hall Cafeteria, Ohio State Lima (4240 Campus Dr), Lima, 7:30 PM · $5 Improvised, audience-driven murder mystery where the crowd supplies the laughs.
Tomorrow
- Wild Horse and Burro Placement Allen County Fairgrounds (2750 Harding Hwy), Lima, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM · Free
- Halloween Express Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation (12505 County Road 99), Findlay, 6:30–9:00 PM · $3
- Movie Night on the Water 3763 Old State Route 224, Ottawa, 7:30 PM
Sunday
- "Villain: DeBlanks!" Comedy Show Reed Hall Cafeteria, Ohio State Lima (4240 Campus Dr), Lima, 2:00 PM · $5
- "Frozen Jr." Musical Encore Theatre (991 North Shore Dr), Lima, 2:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- George Skinner
- In 1839, young harness maker George Skinner wagoned his entire leather inventory north from Piqua through Black Swamp mud to Kalida. His modest workbench became the sole saddlery operating across an unbroken wilderness stretch between Lima, Findlay, Defiance, and Fort Wayne.
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