Around 400 people stopped by to wander through the open house style event, which was held over two days last Friday and Saturday. "Just beautiful," many were heard to say as they walked around to see the nativities, in a venue lit with a thousand Christmas lights, evergreen foliage, poinsettias, multiple Christmas trees, prints of Christmas paintings, and other festive holiday decorations. Reports are that it took a couple of hundred man-hours (actually, mostly woman-hours)
to set up the displays, lighting, and backdrops, arrange for the accompanying musical performances, and to collect and sign in the submitted nativity sets.
Several of the nativity scenes came from other countries around the world.
Sixteen different musical performances were presented as a backdrop for the nativities over the course of the two day event, which included solo and group vocal performances, a saxophone quartet, several piano performances, and a trumpet duet. All performed selections of Christmas music, with a different performer or group stepping up every half hour to hour or so throughout the event.
"I love doing this event," said Lisa Carle, chief organizer of the Night of Nativities and Carols. "It is such a great way to kick off the Christmas season. It is a collaboration between like-minded people who have faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and wish to keep his birth at the front of our minds. I love that community members come to the event and become excited about bringing their Nativities in the following year. I hope to continue it for years to come and see it grow into a true community event!"
