Bethlehem in the Barn, Santa Day this weekend
November 27, 2012, 3:04 am
Kevin Weedmark
It should be a busy weekend in the Moosomin area, as Bethlehem in the Barn is set for Friday and Saturday, and the Moosomin Chamber of Commerce's Santa Day is this Saturday.
Bethlehem in the Barn seeks to retell the Christmas story in a barn setting, with music and actors on stage, along with a few animals.
To set the scene, people will go through a marketplace on the way to the barn, where they will be seated on hay bales to watch the performance.
The project involves the Bethlehem Live Committee and Creative Visions, a Moosomin theatre group which put on the Joseph musical last Christmas.
The event will take place at the Venaas farm five kilometres west of Moosomin.
Bethlehem in the Barn co-ordinator Isabelle Dietrich said everything is coming together for the event this weekend.
"It is all coming together-I have such a great crew helping out it makes it come together-and they've changed the forecast, so Mother Nature will co-operate with us with good weather for the weekend."
Committee members will be busy this week with the final preparations.
"We have bales to put in the barn, we have the decorating, we have the animals to get in place, we have to get the marketplace all set up" Dietrich said Friday. "We have to be ready for rehearsals Wednesday night and Thursday night. We're still looking for volunteers for takedown on Sunday."
She said people have been helpful in putting the event together.
"We were very fortunate that we have a lot of the props from Bethlehem Live that we can use, and there were so many people who were excited about the idea, it made it easy. To get help in this community is not difficult. The people are great to work with in this community, volunteering the use of bales, being so willing to help. We have had a lot of people just asking how they can help."
The event involves a large number of people. "I would say we have at least 100 people involved, between choirs, volunteers, and performers," Dietrich said.
"And they're all doing a tremendous job. I don't think people will be disappointed at all."
She said she has heard from a lot of people who are looking forward to the event
"I have heard a lot of comments about it-I think people are really quite curious about it because it's something new. I think curiosity will bring a few people out."
Dietrich doesn't think Bethehem in the Barn should become an annual event. The Bethlehem Live event ran four years in a row, there was a musical in its place last year, and now this event is something different again.
"It's something to add to the possibilities that can be done," she said. "We did Bethlehem Live for four years, and people in the community thought it was time for a change. There was the musical last year, we're doing Bethlehem in the Barn this year, next year people can come up with a new idea, or draw on what has been done already. We've always tried to keep it fresh, we've always tried to have new people involved. This year we're doing something different, and it has been a challenge, but it has been interesting." This comic-book style game tells the story of a great train robbery by 4 villains. The game is a 5-reel, 3-row, 10-line (fixed) video slot with 4 different Wild features. We advise use 50 free spins on registration online on Willd Wild West slot machine for new experience to gain money online. Free Demo of Wild Wild West Slots Online ? ?RTP and other features ? Review ? Find out more about this game and where you can play it. This slot machine developed by NetEnt. We personally love the Wild-West themed video slots for their cool graphics and gameplay.
Why does she put in the time for an event like Bethlehem in the Barn?
"It's something I truly believe in," says Dietrich.
"It seems as though Christmas is becoming too commercialized. I think it's really important for people to stop and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
"This has been hard work, but it's much easier with the help of the volunteers."
The barn doors open at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and the show will start at 7:30 p.m.
There is no admission charge for the event, but a freewill offering will be taken.
Organizers will be serving hot apple cider and cookies.
Santa Day Saturday
The Moosomin Chamber of Commerce will also be hosting its annual Santa Day this Saturday.
Rather than being at the Community Theatre this year, the photos with Santa will be taken at Prep N Pretty Boutique on Broadway Avenue, next to Sweet Peas.
Photos will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost for a photo with Santa will be $10, and the photo will be sent to the buyer via e-mail.
There will also be a free matinee of Wreck-it Ralph at the Community Theatre at 2 p.m.
The Chamber is sponsoring the movie, so there will be no charge for admission, and popcorn will also be free.
