Safe Christmas Cheer

With Christmas just a few days away many families are finishing up last minute holiday shopping, maybe decorating their tree, getting pictures taken with Santa or enjoying some classic holiday movies. 

As we approach the coming days and this new year it is easy to start adding to your list of things to do or places to see. A must add is the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster County, truly an experience like no other. A show you and your family will talk of in the coming days, weeks and years to come. The Sight & Sound Theater…truly remarkable! Let’s dive into what Sight & Sound Theater is as well as a way to enjoy Christmas celebrations in a safe way this year at another location in Lancaster County.

Sight & Sound Theater has been within Lancaster County for over 40 years! Founded by Glenn Eshelman who presented his artwork to a local church in 1964 where individuals within that space were blown away. Glenn partnered with his wife, Shirley to share their art around the United States until 1976 when they created Sight & Sound Theater. This theater is a live theater where shows are performed for audiences around the stories from the bible. Not too long ago, 1997 a fire destroyed the Sight & Sound location but less than 2 years later the couple were determined and opened a brand new theater. This theater is much larger creating a beautiful space for the stories to be shown to their audiences in a life-like way where audiences feel a part of the space and are absorbed by the beautiful art within this live space. With how well the theater has been doing another Sight & Sound theater was opened in Missouri so more audiences can enjoy these shows. This is a family owned business with over 600 employees all working to truly meet the mission of Sight & Sound which is. “Our purpose is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sow the Word of God into the lives of our customers, guests and fellow workers by visualizing and dramatizing the scriptures, through inspirational productions, encouraging others and seeking always to be dedicated and wise stewards of our God-given talents and resources”. Sight & Sound truly a masterpiece among us!

Their Lancaster County Theater is breathtaking with 2,000 seats and a stage that is 300 feet! Casts of the shows are larger, and the use of technology is state of the art. One crowd pleaser is that the animals are real live animals within the show! There is a refreshment area for people to get some of their favorite snacks to enjoy as well as merchandise of dvds and gift cards that can be purchased to support this theater. Audience members can expect detailed shows from costumes, script, music and actions of the cast. The stories they share are done so in ways unlike any other, truly amazing! 

While right now Sight & Sound is unable to put on live shows there are ways for individuals to be a part of this experience through their Sight & Sound TV. This platform gives individuals and families the opportunity to stream and watch their favorite shows, or watch new ones from the comfort of their own home. Subscribing is easy and there is no monthly fee! This TV subscription gives people the opportunity to watch their favorite songs or even learn more about the theater by going behind the scenes and watching their story. There are also shows that are available for purchase, a great way to enjoy the theater at home while supporting the work of so many! Using the Sight & Sound TV would be a great way to enjoy Christmas celebrations with your family in a safe way! 

Do you attend a Christmas celebration every year? Are you wanting to be in person to celebrate Christmas this year? I would suggest checking with your place of worship directly to see if they are allowing in person attendants and if pre-registration is required. Some places are hosting more services with less people to ensure that everyone that wants to safely be in person has that opportunity, others may be offering outdoor services or even online. The places of worship around Lancaster County are working hard to provide Christmas celebrations to those who frequent their spaces. For example Life Church of Lancaster is providing multiple platforms for their parishioners to celebrate Christmas. Life Church is offering two in person services on Christmas eve where they are requiring individuals to wear face masks and social distance, they are doing this by having an online registration for both services to ensure that the attendance is at most 25% capacity. While in person may not be for everyone the Life Church is offering online live streaming of their services or on demand after each. A unique way to make members of their church feel as though they are in person is that they are offering “in-home experience kits” for those who are streaming the services. You can pick up your kit contactless prior to the services on a Sunday. Each kit offers candles, Christmas ornaments and other holiday surprises. This is truly a creative way to get members of their Church to be a part of the celebration in a safe way while at home and feel hands on from their home. In a time of uncertainty it is important to look or ask around as so many places and spaces within Lancaster County are doing different things to celebrate the holidays in a safe way while providing individuals with multiple choices and opportunities to get involved and engaged in whatever way they feel most comfortable. 

As we get closer to Christmas and you are making decisions on how to celebrate, know that there are ways for you to celebrate throughout Lancaster County and many through the comfort of your own home! Maybe you are social distancing and attending a Christmas service, or live streaming a service from your den, maybe you are enjoying a slow quiet morning with your children making Christmas breakfast and staying in your pajamas all day. Whatever you are doing we wish you a safe, healthy and happy holiday! Cheers to the New Year and well wishes for all! 

 Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties that could bring you to live in one of the wonderful communities where creativity, music and talent are right in your backyard.  You will love it here!

For more information on wonderful homes call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com