Grab the kids, gather the grandchildren — the whole family if you can! — and come to Wilshire on Friday, Dec. 19, for One Starry Night, an interactive Bethlehem experience with something for everyone.
Your first stop will be the census table, where, just like Mary and Joseph, you’ll register and receive a passport and some coins. From there, you’ll enter the village, where you’ll find a tented market bustling with hands-on activities: baking, carpentry, painting, herbs and spices, pottery, weaving, music and dancing. You’ll enjoy interacting with craftsmen and vendors while roving musicians fill the air with sounds of the season.
While in the village, sample first-century delicacies at Bethlehem Inn, pet the sheep at the shepherds’ pen and search the sky for the Christmas star at Stargazer Hill. But you better be on your toes when the tax collectors and beggars come around — and at Herod’s Palace where the king and his scribe hold court.
Before you leave the village, you’ll want to visit the Memory Making area, where you can dress up like the villagers for a group photo to remember the night. And of course, all roads lead to the stable, where you’ll find the Holy Family waiting quietly and reverently for your visit.
One Starry Night opens at 6:30 p.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m. It’s all free and is Wilshire’s holiday gift to the community.
Volunteers still needed
It takes a village to create a village, and Bethlehem still has some needs:
• Herbs for grinding.
• Pizza stones for the bakery booth.
• Volunteers to greet guests and help in booths.
• Playdough makers for the pottery booth.
• Volunteers to help set up the week before and clean up right after the event.
If you can help, contact LeAnn Hampton at KiteL@tx.rr.com. There will be a brief meeting for all volunteers in McIver Chapel at noon on Sunday, Dec. 14.