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The Holidays in Hancock County

The holidays are here and there is no better place to celebrate than in Findlay and Hancock County!

Holiday Lights & Decorations

Businesses and Attractions

Downtown Findlay
Downtown Findlay is decked out for the holidays!  Be sure to stroll Downtown and see all the beautifully decorated windows and the lights in Latham Courtyard.

Ghost Town Findlay, 10630 CR 40
Mondays and Fridays from 5 – 8 p.m. until December 15 stroll through Ghost Town, visit Santa, and see all the decorations!

Hancock Hotel
Stop in the lobby or just walk by to see the winter wonderland transformed inside this local boutique hotel.

Hanneman Funeral Home, 201 Osborn Ave.
Drive through this magical loop of holiday lights and decorations!

Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St.
MCPA’s lobby is beautifully decorated for the holidays! Stop by during business hours and snap some holiday photos of your family!

Marathon Petroleum Headquarters, 539 S. Main St. 
Marathon HQ is bright and bustling for the holidays!

Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, 12505 CR 99
Ride through the winter wonderland of NWORRP by taking a miniature train ride – be sure to visit the decked-out train house!  The North Pole Express is part of the Ohio Holiday Lights Trail!

Communities & Landmarks

Village of Arcadia
Arcadia Community Park is home to Arcadia’s community Christmas tree!  Be sure to see it in all its glory.

Village of Arlington
Arlington’s streets are lined with festive light poles and their community Christmas Tree will be decorated by handmade decorations by community members.

Bluffton Blaze of Lights tour
Begin at Bluffton Presbyterian Church, 112 N Main St., Bluffton, to view the Ream Folk Art Display before driving through residential areas.

Village of Mt. Blanchard
Plan a stroll or drive through the picturesque village of Mt. Blanchard.  Snowflakes don light posts along Main Street, businesses’ windows are decorated, and Hurricane Park and the gazebo are decorated.  Stop by Memorial Park, located at the intersection of Clay and Main for a musical light show every day beginning at 5 p.m.

Village of Vanlue
Vanlue’s park and gazebo are ready for your holiday photos!  

Residential

The Courier puts together a great list of residential light displays.  See last year’s list here and stay tuned for 2023!

Magic on Melrose, 701 E. Melrose
From 6 – 9 p.m. daily Pull in, tune your radio to fm 88.5. Sit back and watch the light show in the comfort of your car! Depending on the weather, on Fridays and Saturdays, enjoy hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and popcorn as you enjoy our walk-through display called Candy Cane Lane. 

The Arlington Beautification Committee is hosting a residential holiday decoration contest!  See the participants and learn how to vote here.

As part of the Bluffton Blaze of Lights festival residents of the village participated in a holiday lights contest.  Drive around the village and see the lights and choose your favorites!

Findlay Holiday Light Contest
More than 15 residential locations are competing for the title of best lights in Findlay and a donation to the charity of their choice!  Vote for your favorites on facebook and see a map and list of locations here.

McComb’s Spirit of Christmas Contest
More than 10 locations in McComb are sharing their spirit of Christmas!  See the map and list of locations, as well as vote for your favorites, here!

Vanlue’s Light Fight
9 houses competed for Vanlue’s first Light Fight!  Visit Vanlue to see which house is your favorite!

Festive Events

See all the holiday events here!

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until December 30, North Pole Express Closed Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.
Take a ride on the North Pole Express!  The North Pole Express will take you on a journey around their magical grounds.  The cost is just $5 for adults and $3 for children.  Be sure to keep a lookout for silly elves hiding in the Christmas Tree Forest and visit Santa and Mrs. Claus on select dates.

Fridays until Christmas, Kiwanis Santa’s House
Held at St. Andrew’s Church from 6 – 8 p.m., visit with Santa, enjoy a wagon ride through Downtown, and some sweet treats!

Fridays until Christmas, WinterFest
Taking place at the same time as Kiwanis Santa’s House, WinterFest is happening in Downtown Findlay!  From 6-8 p.m. enjoy local stores staying open late, shop the Holiday Market in Dorney Plaza, and grab a seasonal drink to sip while you do it all.

December 16, Jingle Bell Jog
Grab your jingle bells and head to Great Scot in Downtown Findlay for a seasonal 5K!  Beginning at 9 a.m. enjoy a fun race through Downtown and historic South Main.

December 17, Vanlue Caroling
Meet at the Vanlue Park at 6 p.m., hop on the wagon, and go around town caroling to get Vanlue in the holiday spirit.

December 24, Father Christmas visits historic South Main Street.
Walk through peaceful South Main on Christmas Eve to enjoy the historic homes, holiday lights, and luminary lined sidewalks.  Father Christmas and Mrs. Claus will be walking the sidewalks from 8 – 10 p.m.

Winter Break

Enjoy Winter Break in Findlay and Hancock County with these special events and attractions open this week.  See local shops’ hours here, and local restaurants’ hours here.

AMF Sportsman Lanes

Axe Ventura, Coming Soon!  Make your reservations here!

Black Heritage Library & Multicultural Center, Coming Soon! 

Children’s Museum of Findlay, Coming Soon! 

The Cube, Coming Soon! $6 Admission, $3 Skate Rental – don’t forget, The Cube is cash-only!

Findlay Art League Gallery, Coming Soon! .

Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, Coming Soon! 

The Links Indoor Golf, Coming Soon! 

Main Street Deli Barcade, Coming Soon! 

Marathon Center for the Performing Arts Fisher/Wall Art Gallery, Coming Soon! 

Mazza Museum, Coming Soon! 

Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, open Friday and Saturday, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Painters’ Pottery, Coming Soon! 

New Year’s Eve Events

Cheers to a new year!  Ring in 2024 in Findlay and Hancock County.  See Bar and Restaurant Hours here!  See area shopping hours here.

Noon Year’s Eve, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, 11:30 a.m. – Noon