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NEWS RELEASE
BETHLEHEM A.D.
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Bethlehem A.D. 2021
- Dates: Dec. 21, 22, 23 – Walk-through. Golf cart tours available for the disabled
- Times: 6:00-9:30 pm nightly
- Location: 1305 Middlefield Rd. near Main in Redwood City, CA. Look for the Searchlight!
- Cost: FREE to the San Francisco Bay Area Community
- Sponsored by: Rise City Church and many other church and civic groups
Bethlehem A.D. is BACK as an outdoor walk-through live event in 2021! For the twenty-ninth year, diverse church and community groups have come together to present Bethlehem A.D.as a unique Christmas gift to the San Francisco Bay Area. Bethlehem A.D. recreates the ancient village of Bethlehem (under Roman rule) on the night of the first Christmas. Hundreds of volunteer “character actors” and a menagerie of animals (including camels) bring to life the sights and sounds of Bethlehem on that special “Holy Night”. By 2021, Bethlehem A.D. will be compliant with San Mateo County public health guidelines and will monitor the number of people who enter and exit the village to make sure that there is less crowding. We will need to adapt some aspects of the Bethlehem A.D. experience to be more “contactless” (i.e. no touching of coins or marketplace bread and goods) however the joyous spirit of the event will remain intact.
Bethlehem A. D will remain a totally entertaining and engaging experience, where "pilgrims" enter the village by foot and are immediately brought back in time to encounter Roman centurions marching in formation, tax collectors gathering taxes for Caesar, census takers acquiring signatures, villagers cooking over open fires, lively folk dancers entertaining, craftsmen creating pottery and selling wares in the marketplace, and Jewish sages discussing prophecy at the synagogue.
Outside the village, the mood is as lively as within. Roman centurions help Redwood City police to direct traffic while costumed villagers mingle with modern-day sojourners and interact with the passing procession of King Herod. Searchlights crisscross the night sky and music fills the air. Feelings of joy permeate the entire city block, while a deep sense of community unites people of diverse cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds.
Children especially love seeing the animals that inhabit the village; including camels, llamas, goats, donkeys, a Zeedonk(Zebra-Donkey), and sheep in the field where shepherds watch their flock by night. And, everyone enjoys spotting the Magi (Wise Men) as they carry gifts in search of the newborn King. A sense of anticipation builds as visitors journey past the Inn and reach the Manger where everyone beholds THE event that changed our calendar and the dates of history. Angels surround the Holy Family and express their worship in dance. Upon exiting Bethlehem, visitors receive a free booklet, “The Birth that Changed History”,
recapping the story they have just experienced. Through the BethlehemAD.com website, live streaming video transmits the event to the world.
Once you've made your first "pilgrimage" to Bethlehem A.D., it will become part of your most cherished Christmas traditions. Join us to celebrate that Bethlehem A.D. is BACK for 2021.
CONTACT: Paula Dresden, 650-281-9170 / paula@BethlehemAD.com
For information, photographs, maps, and PARKING directions click BethlehemAD.com
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