ELKINS — The fourth annual “Night in Bethlehem” event Saturday drew more than 750 visitors for the celebration that transforms the First Baptist Church of Elkins parking lot into the ancient town of Bethlehem.

“Everything went fantastic,” said First Baptist Church Pastor Brett Rinehart. “It was a wonderful event and the weather was absolutely perfect.

“All of our volunteers just did a phenomenal job and we gave the experience that we wanted to give to the community. It was a wonderful evening and we had over 750 people come through our gates.”

“Night in Bethlehem” was an interactive event that featured re-enactors representing the ancient town of Bethlehem. The free event included crafts and activities for children, a live nativity scene, and pet-table animals.

“We wanted to get the story out there about the birth of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas,” Rinehart said. “Seeing everyone’s faces taking in the live nativity and participating in all the shops, there was joy.

“As the people were leaving they were all saying Merry Christmas as they walked out with cookies and hot chocolate. It was one of those things that just warms the heart. This was our fourth year of doing ‘Night in Bethlehem’ and it has become a special part of Christmas in my heart. Hopefully it is for our community as well.”

The live Nativity featured portrayals of Mary, Joseph the wise men, and friendly townspeople. Children attending were able to feed a large gathering of animals, including a camel named Snowflake, for free.

“We had a lot of help from the community to make this happen,” Rinehart said. “There were businesses in town who donated funds to make this all possible and we had a member of the community pay for the food cups for kids to feed the animals. It’s just really wonderful that we are part of a special church and a community who rallies around this event every year.”

Rinehart said that plans have already started to be put in place for next year’s fifth annual event.

“Everyone who came out to the event had a wonderful experience and we have already started planning next year’s event,” Rinehart said.

For more information about the First Baptist Church of Elkins, call 304-636-3448, or visit the church’s Facebook page.

Many young children attending Saturday’s ‘Night in Bethlehem’ were drawn to the abundance of live animals at the event. A young boy, above, attempts to draw some of the animals closer to him during the event.