Nativity Festival celebrates the meaning of Christmas

The local citizens are thrilled they can now share the restored Nativity figures from the 1950s and 1960s with their children and grandchildren.

One of the most biblical stories told, is the birth of the Christ child.

Today, we see that Holy event displayed in manger scenes with figures of Joseph, Mary, the Three Wise Men and baby Jesus, during the Christmas season.

Members of the Trinity Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran Churches in Maysville have come up with a unique event to celebrate that Holy night in an extraordinary way.

With over 200 creche sets on display, the Nativity Festival has become known as the best small-town show in the country.

“The Nativity festival is our way of sharing the birth of the Christ child with the community, that is the message of Christmas,” festival coordinator, Barb Clarke said. “This year will mark the 14th presentation of the Nativity festival at Trinity Lutheran Church and has become one of our area’s main Christmas highlights. The creches are displayed in a specially decorated room that sets the mood of that night so long ago in Bethlehem, and recalls the true meaning of the season,” Clarke said. “Each year, a special group of nativity sets is featured, and this year is no exception. “South of the Border” sets will show off their vibrant colors and crafted skills of their creators. Doctors Grace and Phillip Yunker have graciously loaned sets they have acquired while on mission trips to South America.

The crèches are displayed in a single room and come from all over the world and are handcrafted from a variety of materials such as wood, ceramic, glass, tin, paper and even mashed potatoes.

“Members of our congregation have shared sets from their own personal collections and we have a few crafted by local artisans on loan as well. A couple my favorites are the ones crafted by Rowan County folk artist, Minnie Adkins and another that is probably the smallest of them all, was crafted by Ken Swinson”, Clarke said.

One of the most popular displays is a full-size restored vintage set of the Holy Family that appeared in downtown Maysville.

“In 1950s and 1960s, the City of Maysville had a life-size display of the manger scene that was placed in front of the fire station each Christmas. But after years of wear and tear from being moved around and stored, the city decided it was time for a new set. The figures ended up in different stores in the area. A gentleman even saved one of the figures from the landfill,” Clarke said. “A friend and I learned how to restore the pieces, and after six-months of work the vintage set was ready to add to our festival and has become a favorite among the locals in the community,” Clarke said.

Another added feature is the opportunity for children to dress up as one of the nativity figures and have their picture taken.

“Something that is of great interest to both children and parents is a recreation of the stable where the children, dressed in provided costumes, may have their pictures taken. Modern technology allows the children to have their picture in hand in just minutes. The photo makes a wonderful remembrance. There is no charge for the photographs. Children will also receive a gift suitable for their age. We hope that this event will not only be a feast for the eyes, but will also be a feast to the ears of those attending. We will have several church choirs, soloists, and ensembles that will be offering music of the season throughout the days. You may enjoy the music either in the sanctuary or while viewing the creches from around the world,” Clarke said.

The Nativity Festival is free and open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10 from noon until 4 p.m.

Non-perishable food for the benefit of local food banks will be collected.

This “must see” event is a collaboration of Trinity Lutheran Church of Maysville and St. Paul Lutheran Church of Chatham.

Groups can arrange to view the display on Friday, Dec. 8 by calling 606-564-4493.

Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 621 Parker Road in Maysville across from the Maysville Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility.

Thousands of visitors drive from miles around to see over 200 manger sets that range from miniature to life-size and made from various types of materials from around the world.