Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Live nativity this weekend

This Christmas will mark the first annual live drive through nativity scene in Prescott.

The Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce has worked with local churches to help get this event planned and underway. The nativity will be open Dec. 14-15, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds from 7-9 o'clock each night.

Mary Godwin, executive director of the Chamber, said those coming to the nativity will be required to stay in their vehicles as they tour "Bethlehem".

Cars will enter the fairgrounds from Highway 67, exiting on the Whiteside Street, by Wolves Drive In. As the tourists pass through the gates, they will be given a brochure depicting the story of Christmas.

Patrons are asked to bring a canned good item or make a cash donation, with the proceeds going to the Department of Human Services to be distributed to needy families during the holiday season.

Members of the Chamber's board of directors will be responsible for working the gate.

Those coming to the nativity will not be allowed to get out of their vehicles, and are required to drive through the scene slowly.

The "actors" in the nativity will need to park by the rodeo arena, or outside the fairground gates.

There will be five main parts to the nativity:

1) an angel appears to Mary telling her she will have a child;

2) Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem by donkey;

3) shepherds will be tending their flocks in the field'

4) the three wise men will visit the manger to worship and pay tribute to the baby Jesus; and

5) music will be played at the manger scene.

The tour of Bethlehem will include scenes from the past such as candle making, the selling of scented oils, spices, cloth, black smithing and will conclude with the manger scene where the baby Jesus was born.

The drive will be lined with luminaries to give it a more festive holiday look, she said.

Godwin encourages everyone to come and participate in the live nativity, and bring an elderly friend or neighbor along.

Those involved with the nativity are: the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, Shady Grove Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Central Baptist Church, New Liberty Church, Macedonia Baptist Church, the City of Prescott, the Prescott Lion's Club and First United Methodist Church.

Those coming to the nativity are welcome to drive through as many times as they want.

"We encourage nursing homes and churches to come with their vans and bring people," Godwin said. "A lot of time and work has gone into this. People have been working on it for months."

Holiday events will conclude on Dec. 22, with Breakfast with Santa.

Breakfast will be held in the Potlatch building from 9-11 a.m. Those 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Breakfast will consist of doughnut holes, a sausage biscuit, juice and milk.

Door prizes will be drawn for throughout the event. Other activities include face painting, making magic reindeer food, decorating a Christmas ornament, making a Christmas card, decorating cookies, making a "Jingle Bell" necklace, writing and mailing a letter to Santa, a coloring contest, Bingo, dot to dot, a bean bag toss and other activities, concluding with story time.

Santa will be on hand to talk with the children and hear what they want for Christmas.