Experience the reason for the season firsthand in the little town of Bethlehem in Burnet

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

—Luke 2: 8-12 (King James Version)

Arrive on the scene of this heralded birth along with the shepherds, joining crowds of shoppers, merchants, innkeepers, tax collectors, and Roman soldiers on the dusty streets of the small Jewish village of Bethlehem. Except this village is located at 300 E. Washington St. in Burnet, just two blocks from the Burnet County Courthouse, rather than in the Roman province of Judah. 

For two consecutive December weekends each year, the reconstruction of a 1st century city bustles with activity in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. This year, Main Street Bethlehem opens its gates at 5:30 p.m. on December 5, 6, and 7, as well as on December 12, 13, and 14. 

“It takes you back to how it was the night Jesus was born,” said Leslie Walzel, who has been involved with the project since her father, Norman Leftwich, started it in 1993. “It’s rough. It’s dirty. If there’s a lot of people, it’s dusty. It can be loud. It’s a true depiction of what Christmas really means without money having to be involved, without any slick modern things.” 

The ministry maintains the property and produces the event without charging fees, selling merchandise, or holding fundraisers. Money comes through donations. Although a ministry of First Baptist Church of Burnet, the congregation provides enthusiastic volunteers, but no funds are allocated from its budget for the building or maintenance of the Burnet Bethlehem. 

“The Lord has always provided,” Walzel said. “If we have excess donations, we give out senior scholarships or to different causes locally. We have some international organizations we support, too. It’s very much in the hands of God. We try to do what He wants us to do with it.”

That philosophy has been an integral part of the project since its inception.

Walzel’s father was inspired by a similar nativity scene he saw at a church in El Paso, where his son, Steve Leftwich, was the pastor. (Steve is now the pastor of Chapel of the Hills Baptist Church in Buchanan Dam.) The West Texas church erected tents in its parking lot.

“Dad had a vision and was inspired to create a city, a permanent Bethlehem,” Walzel said. “People sensed the Lord’s leadership in that, and it became our blessing.”

The first Main Street Bethlehem was constructed at Leftwich’s ranch out of donated hospital sheets stapled to wooden frames. The structures were erected on the E. Washington St. lot, and after the holidays, the pieces were numbered and stored back at the ranch. 

“Dad drew up plans for what it would look like, and everyone got together and built it,” Walzel said. “We spray-painted sheets to look like bricks.”

The first version proved short-lived.

“One Sunday morning, we went out there and everything had blown down,” Walzel said. “We built the permanent structures one at a time over time. The first building was the merchant building.”

The cave, where visitors exiting the city streets find Mary, Joseph, and the babe, and the oven where a baker used to make fresh bread every night, were the only permanent features in the original setup. About 15 years after the annual live nativity began, the cave burned down. It has since been rebuilt. 

Walzel is co-chair of the nonprofit and one of many volunteers who have spent the last 30 years making sure Main Street Bethlehem remains a staple of Burnet’s holiday celebrations. She is the financial director at First Baptist Church, where many of the volunteers worship, although people come from as far away as Georgetown to be a regular part of the production.

In the beginning, fellow co-chair Janet Burns served as a merchant. She is now a shopper, one of the villagers who go from stall to stall to buy food and household goods. She and her husband, Nathan Burns, keep the rented animals, which include camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, and chickens, on their ranch in Burnet County. Nathan also works with the all-volunteer maintenance crew to keep the infrastructure solid. They recently installed new electrical wiring and re-roofed some of the buildings.

“It’s an aging structure,” Janet said. “It was built on a shoestring and it’s maintained on a shoestring.” 

All the costumes for the more than 100 re-enactors are hand-sewn and cared for by volunteers under the leadership of Judy Lightfoot, the very first costume director. 

“We have an amazing costume lady,” Janet said. “When Norman (Leftwich) asked her to do it, she didn’t even know how to sew. She learned how.” 

Lightfoot held sewing parties with other volunteers who would bring their sewing machines and materials and set down to work. 

The biggest surprise to all of them has been the increased interest in participating in and visiting Main Street Bethlehem over the years. 

“We did not have the vision that in 30 years it would be this big and people would keep wanting to come—and to volunteer,” Janet said. “It’s hard to convey the number of people who have been a part of it from the beginning, who have devoted countless hours to maintain the site, staff the event, do work days. It wouldn’t be here without the dedication of so many volunteers.” 

Walzel was the first Mary to cradle Jesus in her arms in the gunite-covered cave. She was 33 and the mother of a 2-year-old at the time. 

“It was very much the spiritually moving experience I thought it was going to be,” she said. “I would sit there and hear the blacksmith hammering, and all the people talking, the animal sounds, and I would think, what would Mary and Joseph be thinking and feeling right now. It’s a transformative experience.” 

Re-enactors get in character and stay in character to pass that experience on to their visitors. 

“I tell everyone in the cast, you are a missionary, you are on the mission field at Main Street Bethlehem,” Burns said. “You are telling people about Jesus every time they walk through that gate. We get to be missionaries and tell people what Christmas is really about. We are so blessed to get to do this. How fortunate we are to get to share the story of Jesus.”

Re-enactors talk to the gathering crowds about the excitement in the air, while others argue with tax collectors, and Roman soldiers patrol the grounds. A blacksmith bangs out metal knives and swords, while animals chomp on hay in nearby corrals. Innkeepers declare no vacancies and turn around travelers who are forced to set up tents around campfires, waiting to be counted in the Emperor’s census. A rabbi in a synagogue prays with fellow Jews about what the birth means for the future. 

“We really want the guests who walk through that gate to feel like it’s 2,000 years in the past,” Burns said. “We want the focus to be on the birth of Jesus.” 

After all the excitement on the city streets, visitors are led to the cave where shepherds fall on their knees before the newborn child. Animals graze and sleep next to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the manger, as foretold in scripture. The scene sets a somber, worshipful, and reflective mood. 

“There’s something about seeing that cave and knowing He really did this,” Walzel said. “God became human, and He didn’t come as a king or a prince. He came as a human, born in a barn, and laid in a manger. The whole purpose of Main Street Bethlehem is to refocus our attention on Jesus and the fact that we are celebrating his birth.” 

Main Street Bethlehem is located at 300 E. Washington St. in Burnet. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The entry line will close at 8:30 p.m. Those in line at that time will be able to enter, but the line will be cut off. Admission is free; however, a donation box is available for those who wish to make a contribution. For other ways to donate, visit fbcburnet.org/main-street-bethlehem. Follow the MainStreetBethlehem Facebook page for weather updates. 

suzanne@the picayune.com