About

The 2023 Festival of Nativities 

Now in its 13th year, the Festival of Nativities celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Christmas Creche, and the universal language of Christmas music.

This completely FREE community event brings everyone together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by sharing their nativities to create remarkable displays.

The Crestwood Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosts this community-wide Christmas celebration in the Louisville Metro area and surrounding counties. With over 600 nativity displays the Crestwood Festival of Nativities has become a holiday tradition for the community.

We invite you to make the Festival of Nativities a part of your holiday traditions!

December 7th & 8th 6:00-9:00pm; opening concert begins at 6:00

December 9th 2:00-7:00pm; opening concert begins at 2:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

6401 Westwind Way, Crestwood, KY

(Corner of Hwy 329 and Westwind Way)

HISTORY OF THE NATIVITY

One of the oldest and most treasured Christmas traditions around the world is the displaying of a nativity scene, or crèche. A crèche is a three-dimensional artistic representation of the birth of Jesus, usually with the infant Jesus in a manger, surrounded by figures of Mary, Joseph, shepherds, animals, and the wise men. The crèche was not always comprised of small, motionless figurines. In fact, the original nativity set was live, with people dressed as Mary and Joseph and real animals used in the barn. The first live nativity sets were said to be created by St. Francis of Assisi in the 12th century.

This tradition spread from Italy to Germany and eventually throughout all of Europe and beyond. Traditionally the sets were displayed at the front of medieval churches and temples. Eventually, artists began carving these images into wood or making them out of straw, and when the nativity sets moved to other countries, other materials were used such as stone and ivory. Whether called the Italian presipio, the German krippe, the Spanish nacimiento, the English crib, or the Polish szopka, each crèche reflects the artist's culture, time, and a reverence for the Savior Jesus Christ - the Son of God - whose birth we rejoice in this Christmas season and always.

"Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, 'Come, follow me.' 

As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others"

-Thomas S. Monson

*Not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints