Holiday Happenings: Nativities on display each weekend in December

photo by: Elvyn Jones

Lea Hoover, of Lawrence, views some of the about 400 nativity scenes on display Dec. 4, 2016 at the Centenary United Methodist Church's annual Festival of Nativities.

A staple of the Lawrence holiday season, the Festival of Nativities will once again be hosted at Centenary United Methodist Church.

Each weekend in December — beginning Dec. 1 — the church, at 245 N. Fourth St. in North Lawrence, will be open from noon to 4 p.m. The event will end after Saturday, Dec. 29.

By the time this year’s festival opens, the church will have transformed into a serene, softly lit metropolis of crèche sets — made of varying materials in different shapes and sizes, representing every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

It takes about 300 hours to assemble and tear down the Festival of the Nativities display every year.

The festival itself is free, though the church does generate modest funds from its gift shop, stocked with homemade cookies, candies and other items.

Holiday Happenings 2018

• Read more about the holiday events and other festivities taking place in the Lawrence area, in our annual Holiday Happenings guide.

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