Bethlehem comes to Bainbridge: Drive through the Bible story in Rolling Bay
Published 10:53 am Monday, December 1, 2014
Bethlehem is a great place to visit, but you’d better make other accommodation plans during your stay because — as you may have heard — there’s no room at the inn.
Especially not at this time of year.
There’s plenty of room to explore, however, at this year’s fourth annual Bethlehem Experience drive-through village.
Presented by the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, the interactive nativity scene will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6. The village features live animals alongside nearly 150 actors of all ages playing everything from wise men and Roman soldiers to Mary and Joseph themselves, all clad in picture perfect period attire.
“It has been a wonderful experience,” said the project’s original coordinator Molly Dunn.
Dunn, who was inspired by a similar event she participated in at a different church she attended while living in California, was the one who pitched the idea and began coordinating the volunteers, actors and set construction for the first Bethlehem Experience years ago.
“I always remember it as a really fun time,” Dunn said. “So I saw it as something our church could do. We have the setup for it, have enough property and storage space for all the sets and props and whatnot. Everyone has really embraced it.”
“Everyone looks forward to it each year,” she added.
Fellow volunteer Kathy Irvin agreed, saying that the visitors had just as much fun as the actors and participants, especially the children.
“It really is an amazing event for the community,” Irvin said. “Where else can you see teenage boys (Roman soldiers) to octogenarian men (the Magi) dressed up in costume and having a great time with it? We had 1,100 visitors last year and are hoping for even more this year.”
The driving route takes visitors through the biblical Bethlehem circa the night Jesus was born. Drivers move through the first parking lot (the “desert”) in their “caravans” before coming upon three wise men, and then the city gates.
Once inside they are greeted by a variety of historical characters including Roman guards, the tax collector, merchants and vendors, many of whom interact with the guests as they pass through helping to advance the narrative.
Sights include a carpentry and spice shop, live animals such as mastiff dogs, sheep, chickens and donkeys, a marketplace and, of course, the inn with no rooms left.
Finally the route ends at the story’s climax, the manger scene, where real live actors portray the story’s main characters including Mary, Joseph and the angels.
The event is free and donations are not accepted as the experience is the church’s gift to the community, said Dunn.
“This is truly our church’s gift to the community,” Dunn explained. “If you want to come back and put some money in the offering plate next Sunday, then that’s fine, but we don’t accept payment for this at all.”
Guests are free to drive through the experience as many times as they want. The entire route typically takes 30 minutes.
Though the first year was difficult, Dunn remembered, the event has grown exponentially since both in size and number of guests, some coming from as far away as Seattle and Bremerton.
“Especially after the first year, everyone had so much fun that the first year and the year after that, it’s not hard to get teenagers and kids especially to be a part of it,” she said. “They want to be out there in their Roman solider costumes. I think it’s actually a huge draw, it’s definitely put our church on the map.”
Dunn said that the event is heavy on history and theater and relatively light on scripture.
“Even if you don’t believe, it is just enjoyable to go through and see,” she said. “It’s basically getting back to what the whole season of Advent and Christmas is about. It’s not about Santa, gifts and gingerbread houses.”
Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church is located at 11042 Sunrise Drive NE (at the southeast corner of Valley Road and Sunrise Drive (across from Bay Hay and Feed).
