Creche exhibit draws crowds from throughout the valley

More than 600 nativity scenes, from handmade creches to detailed dioramas, were on display at the LDS church gym last weekend

Nearly 1,000 people, some from as far away as California, visited the annual ecumenical creche exhibit, "A Gift of Love," at the LDS church last Friday and Saturday.

The display featured 603 privately owned donated nativity scenes, ranging from a carved creche in a matchbox to a live nativity scene.

In its fourth year, the event has expanded to two days of viewing opportunities, and draws people from throughout the Treasure Valley.

"I'm filled with awe and wonder," one visitor said in remarks written down in the guest book.

"It's a beautiful display of some very unusual pieces, a great way to start the Christmas season," said another.

Lynn Blethen, who is one of the organizers for the event, noted that "it changes every year," but each year both the quantity and quality of the displays seems to be growing. Besides filling the gym at the church, displays now spill over into a number of adjacent rooms. One room was set aside for nativity scenes from foreign lands, another, the "whimsy room," featured handmade displays and nativity scenes that featured animals as the main characters in the creches (including a rubber duckie creche).

Julie Vogel, assisted by Wendy Niksich, was the artistic director for the event, organizing the properly displaying the many nativity scenes.

Overall, Blethen said, nearly 200 volunteers helped put the displays up, or served as hosts during the weekend's exhibition, or helped clean up afterwards, or provided some other service to make the exhibit successful.

Throughout the two days of the exhibition, a number of musical groups performed, including Katie Gibbons and Tawnie Phillips on the piano, the First and Second Ward choirs, Dan Borgholthaus on the organ, Jo Phillips on the organ and piano, Sarah and Nancy Hyde singing and performing on the organ and piano, Clare Roach on the harp, Mountain Home Junior High School choir students, the First Congregational Church Handbell Choir, Jessica Bergstol singing, and the Fourth and Fifth Ward choirs.

A total of 13 couples took part sharing time as Mary and Joseph in the live nativity scene set up on the gym-area stage. They were: Martha and Ronny Ralphs, Noah and Tiffany Cheney, Sean and Kym Smith, Jim and Carolyn Morrison, Ty and Stephanie Triple, Jody and Heather Wolfley, Rick and Claudette Parke, Bruce and Regina Ewell, Don and Cheryl Blake, Josh Elliott and Katrina Cram, Brandon and Aubrey Johns, Darrin and Mary Smith, and Chris and Elizabeth Latta.