Bethlehem Marketplace

Bethlehem Marketplace will not be presented in 2008,
but will hopefully return in 2009.

We would like to thank all the people and businesses in our community that stepped up to assist us overcome the difficulties we faced this year.

Over 10,000 people have attended the Marketplace in the past three years.
The interactive drama is put on by almost 300 volunteers.
There is no admission, no donations accepted, and nothing actually is for sale.
Tour time averages about one hour, even at times of peak crowds.

	Bethlehem Marketplace is an interactive drama.
Guests will experience the streets of Bethlehem as they were the day after Christ was born.
	Bethlehem Marketplace will NOT be presented for Christmas 2008.
Bethlehem Marketplace requires a lot of work and volunteers, and it has been decided to take a year off for rest.
	Keep checking back to this page for information about any replacement program presented for Christmas 2008.

Comments from those who have journeyed to the Marketplace:

"Thank you for serving the community in this way. We will remember this for years to come."
     ~ Anonymous

"We were amazed at what we were able to view. It was a very rewarding experience for all of us. I wish it could be for another weekend."
    ~ Lucy

"Thank you for all of your hard work. It was truly wonderful!"
    ~ Carol

"We visited Bethlehem on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. A wonderful job was done by everyone. We definitely will remember our journey for years to come. Please let everyone know what a difference they are making for thousands of people at such a beautiful time of the year."
    ~ Angela

"I just want to say thank you for creating such an awesome experience. Feeling close to Christ is a great feeling and to visit Bethlehem during his birth was such a blessing. Our family is always looking for unique ways to appreciate the meaning of christmas, and this one surely will be the most meaningful experience this year."
    ~ Shan

"I was stunned by the beauty and activity of the marketplace and then just overcome with emotion by the simplicity of the manger scene. Thank you for reminding us that in the middle of our busy, hectic schedules and lives, God is here and all we need to do is open our eyes to see Him."
    ~ Denise

"I'm glad I was able to come to the Marketplace. It was like stepping back into Bible times. We've talked about it all week at work."
    ~ Connie

Excerpted from Roanoke Times, Published Dec. 29, 2005, following up an article published Dec. 2, 2005

THEN (Dec 2) : Gregg Randolph said his emotions go on a roller coaster ride when he walks through Lakeside Baptist Church's gymnasium these days.

That's because it has been transformed into a Bethlehem Marketplace. And Randolph, the Salem church's worship pastor, remembers going to a similar event nearly every Christmas as a child in Tennessee.

"I wanted so bad to be involved in something like this at some point," said Randolph, who has worked at Lakeside for three years. "I'm overwhelmed that I have the opportunity to be involved in it."

The free two-day event takes place Dec. 3-4 and has the feel of an actual marketplace in Bethlehem from about the time Mary and Joseph tried to stay at an inn there the night Jesus was born.

Randolph said visitors will "never see anything that makes them think they're in a gym." About 150 actors dressed in custom-made costumes made the interactive drama realistic.

A variety of vendors display goods characteristic of the time period: fish, pottery, grain, wine, tanned hides, dyed fabrics, baskets, bread, fruits, vegetables, copper and brass. Within the marketplace there was a jail, vineyard, synagogue, inn and the stable similar to where Jesus was born. Two camels, a donkey, sheep, chickens and doves were on hand, as they would have been then.

NOW (Dec 29) : Randolph said 3,200 people came to the marketplace during the two-day event, adding that most had to wait 30 minutes to an hour to get in.

"People said this is the one event that will make Christmas special for them this year," he said. "It turned out 10 times better than I ever imagined."

Visitors said the marketplace and its interactive drama took them back 2,000 years, according to Randolph.

His favorite part was watching visitors' reactions to their surroundings in the marketplace.

He saw people crying as they stood in front of the stable, where actors portrayed Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus on the night of Jesus' birth.

The two baby camels were "hilarious," Randolph said. About every 30 minutes, a song played in the marketplace and the camels "wailed" during the song's duration.

Randolph said the church is committed to presenting theBethlehem Marketplace next year.

"It was great to see people bond together and work so hard together and just have fun with it."

-- Annie Braun