'Just amazing': Festival of the Nativity marks 40 years of community tradition

Dec. 2—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Nearly 400 different manger scenes adorn the inside of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Johnstown during the 40th annual Festival of the Nativity, which invites the community in to enjoy the figurines and local music.

Each nativity scene differs from those around it in design, but all depict the birth of Jesus Christ. Some are large and ornate, while others are small and simple.

"It's just amazing to see how different people interpreted it," Joan Roberts said.

Roberts carefully inspected the numerous displays at the church, 309 Lincoln St., along with her sister Linda Henning and brother-in-law Joe Roberts, as they do every year.

The trio have attended the three-day festival for roughly 15 years, they said, and plan to attend each day again this year to hear the variety of musical groups that start at 6 p.m. each day of the event, which began Friday and will continue through Sunday.

On Friday, the Retired Men's Group, Polish Heritage Choir and the Johnstown Reed Band performed. Saturday's line-up features My Swiggle Mountain Group Brass, Kathleen Bumbernick and the Forest Hills Community Band.

Then, on Sunday, the Greater Johnstown Diocesan Festival Choir, the Parlock Family, Dynamic Pressure, the Forest Hills High School choir, the Westmont Presbyterian Church choir, the Richland High School chamber choir, Greater Johnstown High School students, the First Presbyterian Church choir and a combined choir of more than 100 people will perform for festival-goers.

"It's just a really nice thing for the church to do," Henning said.

Joan Roberts said that one part of the festival they enjoy most is picking out aspects of the displays they may have missed previously. One thing she and her sister noticed this year is that many of the camels in the manger scenes have distinct personalities, which brought them joy, she said.

A majority of the nativities were donated by churchgoers and community members throughout the past 40 years. They are put out by a group of First Presbyterian Church volunteers every Christmas season.

Lois Siehl started the festival tradition in 1983, and it was so popular it's carried on ever since.

In those four decades, one of the longest-serving helpers is Isabel Cruse. Other volunteers credit Cruse with keeping track of the intricately displayed nativities.

"I've been doing this probably 38 years, and I do know most of the sets," she said.

Cruse said the group works as a committee to decide which sets go where and how to set up the wise men, the animals, Mary and Joseph.

"It's been a fun journey all these years," Cruse said.

Attending the festival regularly is also a tradition of Gretchen and Brian Burket.

The couple have made their way to First Presbyterian Church to explore the nativities for about 10 years and always look forward to it.

"It's just interesting to see the different views of the nativity and how it's portrayed," Gretchen Burket said.

Brian Burket joked that their house is a miniature version of the festival. His wife collects nativity sets with stories and displays them every year; she has amassed more than 50 so far.

The Rev. Hyiwot Teshome, First Presbyterian Church pastor, described the event as a "spiritual gift to the community."

"It's just a wonderful thing to do," he said.