May 20-21 is the Bluffton Soccer Clubs tournament for U12 & U15 divisions.
Money raised from this tournament goes to support the entire club (recreation and travel teams) for field maintenance and equipment replacement (nets, balls, goals).
Organizers rely on volunteers to help make the weekend run smoothly. Forgot to sign up? Check out volunteer opportunities on May 19-20-21 HERE.
The Village of Arlington is hosting its second annual Spring Shoptacular on Friday, May 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
There will be 45+ vendors, 7 food trucks including specialty trucks like dessert, coffee, and nuts. There are also more than 30 homes participating in Village Garage Salescheduled for the same days, May 19 and 20.
See the Icons Classifieds page for a list of garage sales.
On Wed., May 31, at 8:30 p.m., the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District will offer SPRING MOTHS! at the MCELROY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER (2355 Ada Rd. Lima, OH).
“Unusual Bluffton visitors, saloons and other stories,” is the topic of a program by Fred Steiner at 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, at the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main St., Bluffton.
“From the 1880s to the 1930s Bluffton was part of a circuit visited by interesting groups of itinerants,” said Steiner. “Most of these visitors were harmless and homeless persons traveling the countryside. They included drifters, peddlers, misfits and people from the Romani culture.”
PANDORA—Join The Quarry Farm Nature Preserve & Conservation Farm's annual “Spring Migration Hike” on Saturday, May 20 from 8:00-10:30 a.m.
Birders should dress for the weather in earth-toned colors and sturdy hiking shoes that can get muddy. They'll be walking with stops to look and listen for migrating and resident birds. What they see will be documented on Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s ebird and shared with any participants who want to share their email. Bring binoculars and cameras are welcome.
The Saturday, June 3 Bluffton Arts and Crafts Festival will be the 50th by that name. It takes some doing to create that kind of continuity. Hiccups come along, like the COVID pandemic, which created a brief gap in the timeline. What has given the festival such longevity? The Icon talked to several individuals who have been instrumental in coordinating and promoting the festival, including long-time manager Jerry Burkholder.
