
The star of Bethlehem will again be lighting in the night sky in the North Okanagan.
Presented by Vernon's Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bethlehem Star features a replica 2,000-year-old marketplace complete with Roman centurions, merchants, live animals and more.
The free Christmas presentation features a live play inside the church. Attendees can also have their picture taken dressed in traditional attire.
The Mission Hill church has been putting on the elaborate production for several years, and it's attended annually by thousands.
Organizers expect the experience to take about 45 minutes to access the production and to walk through, with a stop for home-made cookies and hot chocolate along the way.
“We’re excited to be back again this Christmas season with our Bethlehem Star production, where we are seeking to re-tell the old, yet ever new, story of the most amazing birth in all of human history, Jesus Christ,” said Aaron Wilson, with Emmanuel Baptist.
“This year, as always, we try to provide an authentic experience where we build upon previous years to bring people into the world as it may have looked 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.
“As you wait to enter the bustling marketplace, where a host of vendors are selling their various hand-crafted goods, you'll be treated to the story as told by the shepherds, who were in the field, watching their sheep.”
Bethlehem Star is free to everyone and runs Friday night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and again Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 7.