Twelve Mile Christmas Pageant returns this weekend

Dec. 8—The Twelve Mile Living Christmas Pageant is a tradition that goes back over 50 years.

This weekend, from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the community will come together once more in Plank Hill Park to tell the story of Jesus' life.

Each year, guests drive through the park to see multiple stations where performers reenact a moment from the Gospels as a still life. The depictions begin with the Annunciation, where Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, and ends with the ascension of Jesus into heaven.

Kathy Buczkowski, one of the many volunteers who helped organize and set up the event, said the entire pageant can be viewed in approximately 10 minutes, though some guests will stop and reflect on the different scenes.

Buczkowski said the pageant operates with around 60 to 80 volunteers each night. The performers work in 30-minute shifts, trading spaces with others so they can warm up and rest.

Set up for the event began Saturday.

"We have people who help with set up and tear down," Buczkowski said. "The Caston boys basketball team helped the last few years with the set up and helped again last Saturday. It was very helpful to have some young abled bodies there."

She said community involvement is so deep that those who are unable to be out in the cold will make refreshments for those setting up and acting in the pageant.

The pageant is a team effort, Buczkowski said. Multiple churches get involved, and they are also seeing younger generations step up to help keep the event going.

"It's one of the highlights of my Christmas and probably for a lot of people who grew up in Twelve Mile," she said. "It's just a neat thing to see so many people, who maybe you only see once a year, come together to put this on. They all have that joy at Christmas time to share the story of Jesus' birth."

The Twelve Mile Community Building, 7913 IN-16, will also be open for those who wish to stop for snacks, hot cocoa and visit with Santa Claus.