Journey to Bethlehem event is Dec. 1-2
For 13 years the Walnut Creek Business Association has been helping to remind the local community the real reason as to why Christians celebrate each December by offering its Journey to Bethlehem event, which will be held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2.
As families prepare for the holiday season, it is often important to reflect on the reason Christmas is so meaningful. For 13 years the Walnut Creek Business Association has been helping to remind the local community of the real reason Christians celebrate each December by offering its Journey to Bethlehem event, which will be held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2.
From 4-8 p.m. each day, visitors will experience the sights and sounds Joseph and Mary went through as they prepared to welcome baby Jesus. There are seven stops throughout the event that can be visited in any order, after first registering at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church, 2619 County Road 144, Sugarcreek, where participants will receive a map. First, register as Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be taxed. Enter under the carport and enjoy live music in the sanctuary. Then visit the fellowship hall to register to be taxed and receive your map that shows the stops and the scripture that supports each remaining journey location.
Participants will then drive to Walnut Creek and park across the street from the Carlisle Inn in the Der Dutchman restaurant parking lot to visit Coblentz Chocolate Company, which will be transformed into the busy marketplace of Bethlehem. Visitors may enter and travel through the “street” scene typical of Jesus’ time period.
Then walk to Carlisle Inn for no room at the inn to watch the scene play out as Joseph asks the innkeeper for a room and is only told nothing but a stable is available.
Attendees can then walk to Carlisle Gifts to see the angels appear to the shepherds. Stand on the sidewalk there and listen to the angels announce to the shepherds that a king has been born.
After the visit to Carlisle Gifts, visitors will walk to Yoder’s Hardware — enter at the back of the store — where they will become part of King Herod’s court and see the wise men ask King Herod about the rumor of the newborn king.
For stops No. 6 and No. 7, participants of the journey will drive to the Farm at Walnut Creek to see the wise men on their journey and view the live nativity scene. Enter at the main entrance, where you will be greeted by census takers who will direct you to parking monitored by Roman soldiers on horseback. Park and board a wagon that will take you to see the nativity scene in the barn, where there will be many live animals to see and angels singing. Get back on the wagon to then be taken to see the wise men and then on to the large house where you will receive complimentary refreshments. There also will be a fire for roasting marshmallows and kettle corn being made outside by the barn.
There also are 3,000 luminaries in Walnut Creek and at the farm to help light the way for participants.
Dutchman Hospitality public relations coordinator Vicki VanNatta has been helping to coordinate the Journey to Bethlehem since it first began in 2010. She also is a member of the Walnut Creek Business Association, which plans, prepares and presents the popular event.
“In 2010 the WCBA board began hosting the journey,” VanNatta said. “Board member Amy Yoder had been involved in a similar presentation years earlier at her church, and she proposed the idea and the board began planning. At the beginning we determined that it would be a free event, open to everyone, locals and tourists, and it would not involve discounts or promotions or sales relating to the journey. We wanted it to be free of commercialism and express the story of the birth of Jesus in order to remind everyone of the reason we celebrate Christmas.”
Because there is no fee involved and visitors can participate in the journey at the time and pace they choose, VanNatta said it is perfect for families of all ages and sizes, church groups, youth groups, groups of friends, and even the solo individual to enjoy the event and not feel alone.
“The journey has become an annual tradition for many families,” she said. “People that attend tell us it has become a family tradition. Others say it sets the tone for their holiday season and reminds them of the true reason we celebrate. The first year we were hoping for 300 people. Our average attendance is 3,500-4,000 each evening.
“People can arrive anytime between 4-7:30 p.m. to begin the journey. That means the flow of the crowd is continually moving. There are lines at the stops in the early evening. Many people are in line by 3:30 p.m. or 3:45 p.m., creating a rush and lines initially. The event will affect each person differently, depending on the way they approach it — if you take your time, read the corresponding scripture, listen to what is said by the actors at each scene and soak it all in.”
Stops may be visited in any order. Both walking and driving is required. Admission is free, and no preregistration is required. Be sure to bundle up and be prepared for chilly weather.