Annual Living Nativity
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Fri, Dec 20 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Sat, Dec 21 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Sun, Dec 22 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Address (map)
305 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara
Venue (website)
First United Methodist Church
For almost 30 years the congregation of the First United Methodist Church has offered a beautiful seasonal gift to the community by staging a re-creation of the Holy Night for three nights just before Christmas.
The community is invited to join in this inspiring and meaningful celebration – it’s free! The Living Nativity, featuring live camels and a humble wooden stable, is complete with a serene Mary, Joseph and tiny baby Jesus asleep in the manger. Three majestic kings stand by with their gifts to the Holy Child, attentive angels appear nearby, and lowly shepherds tend to their flocks. In addition to the camels, sheep, donkeys and goats surround the manger taking in the wonder of it all. It is a silent and beautiful scene to behold.
The 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival style church, with its sanctuary decorated in seasonal finery including a display of crèches on the communion rail, will be open. Docents are available to answer questions about the building, including the historic stained glass windows. Christmas music softly playing adds to the “awe” factor.
The First United Methodist Church of Santa Barbara celebrated its 150th year in 2017. We are located at the corner of Garden and Anapamu Streets, one block from the SB Courthouse. Onsite parking is available with the parking entrance off Garden Street.