Christmas traditions return

Two Green River Christmas traditions are returning this weekend, with the Live Nativity presentation on Saturday and the Handel's "Messiah" Interfaith Community Choir performance on Sunday.

The Live Nativity is being put on for the fifth year, continuing a relatively new tradition. The event began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when the "Messiah" performance had to be canceled. Since then, the event has remained popular and has continued to be put on. The nativity also continues to grow, with changes like the addition of carolers last year, which will continue again this year.

In order to make the event happen, community members come together to create a live representation of the nativity scene, which spectators can drive by, guided by luminaries.

"It's all volunteer," Patsy Sorensen, who helps organize the event, pointed out.

Actors are volunteers, and even the props and live animals for the event come from the community, such as the mule that comes from the Wadsworth family in Jamestown every year. The Assembly of God church has also hosted the event at their facility for the past three years.

"We try to include as many churches as we can," Sorensen explained. "It becomes a bit of an inter-faith work."

The Handel's "Messiah" performance is also an inter-faith event, bringing together multiple churches and a variety of people to make up the choir and put on the performance each year.

This year, the "Messiah" performance will feature a 45-voice choir, which includes music teachers both retired and currently teaching from both Sweetwater County School Districts. The performance will also have soloists by both child and teenage performers, and will be accompanied by a wide variety of musical instruments. The entire production is also put together in a short timeframe, with participants only having four weeks to rehearse. Still, Bonnie Arnold, the co-director and founder of the "Messiah" choir, said she believes the choir continues to get better every year.

"I'm so impressed at the talent and culture in our county," Arnold said.

The "Messiah" performance will also be an opportunity for the community to give back to others. Last year, Arnold and her co-director Nancy Stevens used the event as an opportunity to gather food donations for the Food Bank of Sweetwater County. Arnold explained that this is in the spirit of the very first performance of Handel's "Messiah" in 1742, which raised support for charity and helped the poor. This year, Arnold wants to bring that spirit back again.

Those who attend are encouraged to bring food, canned goods and nonperishables to be donated to the Food Bank of Sweetwater County if they are able to. However, donations are not required, and admission to the performance is free.

The Live Nativity event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, December 14 at the Green River Assembly of God Church at 1380 Hitching Post Drive.

The Handel's "Messiah" Interfaith Community Choir and Christmas Carol Sing-a-long will be performed at 7 p.m. Sunday, December 15 at the LDS Stake Center at 120 Shoshone Avenue.