Harmony Baptist Church will offer a look at the birth of Jesus with their eighth annual reenactment, a live nativity, this weekend.

“It’s really something everyone should just come and see just once,” Carol Polk, one of the organizers, said.

“Last year we had around 400, and this year we want 600-700 or so.”

There’s a lot that goes into this live nativity scene, and a lot of people that help make it come alive.

“We really start preparing for it in early September. But by the time it’s over, we try to have a rough plan for next year,” Polk said.

“There’s roughly 90 or so actors this year.”

The event begins in the church where people register and are given a penny to pay their taxes, just as the people of Bethlehem did.

There will be entertainment while the groups are formed.

After that, the groups will be led by Mary and Joseph, who act as guides throughout the streets of Bethlehem. The group will go past a tax collector, Roman soldiers, a street lined with business owners and villagers, visit an angry innkeeper, and even get visited by angels.

“We really try to be different every year. This year, we added carolers throughout the walk through,” Polk said.

“We also made the tax collectors a little more authentic.”

There will be live chickens, sheep, an actual campfire and Baby Laurel, the donkey.

At the end of the walkthrough, Pastor Keith Ray will finish telling the Christmas story around a fire, and the groups will be led inside the church to enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, cookies, and coffee.

“We do this so people know why we celebrate Christmas. It’s not about presents, it’s not about the food. It’s about what God gave to us,” Polk said.

“We want to reach out to the community, and have them all come and see how the birth of Jesus happened, because there are people out there who really don’t know. We want to inform the community,”

The event was originally scheduled from Fri.-Sun., Dec. 8-10, but Friday’s reenactment was cancelled due to weather.

“The weather should pass and we won’t be cancelling Saturday or Sundays shows,” Polk said.

“This is the first year we’ve cancelled because of weather.”

The event is free and will be on Sat. and Sun., Dec. 9-10, from 6 to 8 p.m.