You’re invited on a 4-day ‘Journey through Bethlehem’ with interactive exhibit
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AFTON, Wyoming — Two western Wyoming communities want to give you a “Journey through Bethlehem” this Christmas season.
The Afton and Thayne stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sponsoring an interactive event designed to give those in attendance a taste of what the streets of Bethlehem may have been like on the night of Jesus Christ’s birth.
“Think of it like a living history exhibit,” Jeff England, a counselor in the Afton Stake Presidency, tells EastIdahoNews.com. “There’ll be a grand entrance with people dressed in period clothing. There will be (actors portraying) Roman soldiers … and others who will be taking a census of those coming into Bethlehem.”
Those who enter will be given a pouch with three gold coins to interact and engage with merchants and people in the recreation of Bethlehem. It will be a room with dim lighting, ambience music and booths providing products, services and food items that would’ve been common at that time.
There will be a game area for kids and a mock reconstruction of a Jewish synagogue where an actor depicting a rabbi will be quoting Biblical passages about Christ.
“Every 20 minutes, a Jewish wedding party will be coming through … that adds to the chaos of downtown Bethlehem,” says England. “There’s going to be a place where you can use those gold coins to buy frankincense and myrrh.”
At the end of the exhibit, there will be a recreation of an inn where an actor portraying an innkeeper will lead participants to a manger to “find solace and protection from the elements” and witness a live Nativity with real animals and “Baby Jesus” wrapped in swaddling clothes.
“We have some benches set up so that people can sit and reflect upon the meaning of Christmas,” he says.
The pouches with gold coins, frankincense and myrrh, will be given as a keepsake to those who attend.
About 160 volunteers have been preparing for this interactive exhibit all year, and a lot of money has been spent on props and sets to make it a memorable experience.
England was inspired to put it on after seeing something similar when he lived in Texas years ago. He hopes it gives viewers a sense of the true meaning of Christmas amid all the other holiday events that happen at this time of year.
“Our hope was to just have a way as a community to come together in a common belief of Jesus Christ and to celebrate his birth in a contemplative way,” England explains.
The idea is to make it an annual event, depending on the community response.
“When you have an opportunity to celebrate Christ’s birth and do it in a way where you can share and give to others, I think it brings a lot of happiness,” he says. “We hope it means as much to those who come and participate as it did for us … in preparing it.”
The “Journey through Bethlehem” exhibit is a four-day experience that begins Saturday evening. It’s being held in the south building of the Lincoln County Fairgrounds at 144 Washington Street in Afton. The event is open to everyone and is free, but tickets are being issued online to keep track of how many attend.
The interactive exhibit will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
For tickets or more information, click here.