OttawaHerald.com -- Community News. Community Connections.

	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

Subscriber Services Home Delivery Gift Subscription Stop-Start Delivery Missing Paper Back Issues Newsstand Locations Shopper Locations

Advertising Services Manage Your Account Place a Classified Ad Place a Display Ad Advertise Online Business Finder Directory

Other Services Submit News Laminated Items Photos & Keepsakes Article Archives Contact Us History of the Herald Our Policies

Suggest a poll topic

2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 12:35 PM

File photo/The Ottawa Herald

The face of Abigail Adams, then 10, Richmond, is illuminated by a candle as she listens to the Ottawa Bible Church’s production of The Bethlehem Project last year. The Bethlehem Project will be from 5:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the farm of Norman and Ellen Mast, north of Ottawa.

Christmas events hope to spread holiday spirit

By BRIAN WILLIAMS, Herald Staff Writer

This weekend people can see a parade through downtown Ottawa or parade through downtown Bethlehem.

The Ottawa Christmas parade will be 5:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Ottawa, while The Bethlehem Project will begin at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the farm of Norman and Ellen Mast north of Ottawa.

The Bethlehem Project

The Bethlehem Project is an outdoor reproduction of the city of Bethlehem during the time of Jesus’s birth. The set is complete with live animals, Roman guards, rabbis, shepherds, angels, marketplace vendors, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus and wise men in period garb.

The Masts began putting on the Bethlehem production in 1998 when they lived in Hutchinson. This will be their sixth consecutive year in Ottawa, Ellen Mast said.

People come from all over to step back into time, she said. Mast estimates between 1,000 and 1,200 people visit their Bethlehem during its three-day run each year.

“That encourages us to keep doing it,” she said.

Visitors will park at U.S. 59 and Sand Creek Road, where they will ride a school bus to Bethlehem. The walking tour lasts about 30 minutes.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted to offset the expense of the bus and all proceeds other than the cost of the bus are given to Hope House and Life Care Center for Women.

Handicapped, large groups or anyone with special needs can call (785) 242-8313 for reservations. For more information go to http://www.ottawabiblechurch.org/bethlehem.htm .

Christmas parade

For the second consecutive year, the Ottawa Christmas parade will begin after the sun has set.

“Last year, the evening parade was really well received,” Kathy Niehoff, parade organizer, said.

“There was a little bit of negativity, but not much. It was so positive.”

The parade has about 40 entries which is down a bit. The parade usually averages about 50 entries, Niehoff said.

“We probably have more floats than anything.”

The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and proceed from Forest Park down Main Street to Park Street.

The theme of this year’s parade is “Holly, Jolly Christmas,” and the grand marshal will be Bob Hill.