Festival of Nativities takes over LDS Church on Scenic Drive
AT LEAST 550 NATIVITIES ON DISPLAY
Displaying the Nativity is a beloved Christmas tradition for many Christian families. One local church has taken that tradition to a whole new level.
At least 550 are on display during the third annual Lethbridge Festival of Nativities at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Scenic Drive South next to the Enmax Centre.
More than 100 local families donated them for the display, many who had visited the Festival of Nativities before.
“It’s always a little bit different,” said Traci Sherwood, director of Festival of Nativities. “You just never know what you’re going to get.”
There are Nativities of every size, shape and material — from intricate wood carvings to glass, colourfully painted ceramics to hand-stitched figures. There are even three Lego displays this year.
“It is the most exciting thing to see this particular form of art displayed from all over the world, in every kind of material, in every kind of format,” said Sherwood. “There’s ones made of corn husks, there’s one made of papier mache ... you name it, it’s here. It’s just incredible to me that this event is celebrated through the entire world in art.”
About three dozen local volunteers have spent many hours creating the display over the past four days.
The free family festival opened Thursday and runs until Sunday. It’s open today from 1-9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 2-8 p.m.
But it’s not just a static display. They’ve expanded into areas throughout the church and added lounging spaces where visitors can take in the sights and sounds or spend a “quiet moment to ponder.”
Throughout the display there will be live music, including three community concerts scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“Each concert is slightly different,” said Sherwood. “We’ve got flugelhorns, we’ve got harps, we’ve got vocals, piano duets, a guitar and drum duet. We’ve got choirs from different schools ... We try to get the widest assortment we can.”
There is also an interactive children’s room with dress-up nativity, puzzles, colouring and more.
“Christmas gets crazy and you get overwhelmed with the things you have to do,” said Sherwood. “We wanted to create a space where people could come in and be transported. We didn’t want it to look like anything else they see in their life. So when you walk in you get to leave all that behind.”
The LDS Church is located at 2410 28 St. S.
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