SALINAS – For four nights, Streets of Bethlehem will give visitors the opportunity to walk through a live replica of the biblical village of Bethlehem, reenacting the first Christmas.
The live Nativity experience has returned to Salinas for its 34th year, put on by First Baptist Church Salinas. The event debuted Thursday and will run until Sunday. Showing are 6 to 8 p.m. each night.
As they walk through the town of Bethlehem, visitors will meet Roman soldiers, villagers, blacksmiths, weavers and even angels. Along the way, they will follow Mary and Joseph as they search for a place to stay.
Past years have shown the events to have a lively assortment of animals from miniature horses and goats, to cattle, llamas and camels.
Streets of Bethlehem says “woven throughout the walk-through is the story of the first Christmas, ending with a heavenly proclamation of the birth of a baby that brought ‘Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Among Men!’”
Walk-throughs of the scene repeat every 20 minutes. The event is free of charge and open to all, run completely through volunteers and donations to the church.
As past years have seen thousands in attendance, First Baptist Church encourages visitors to park at Park Row shopping center, where they can catch a free, five minute shuttle ride to the church. The church says Thursdays are typically the least crowded night, and crowds steadily increase over the weekend.
Food will be available for purchase from R Truck, a food truck from the local Italian cuisine group Pastabilities.
For more information, visit www.StreetsOfBethlehem.com or visit the event on Facebook.