“Home for Christmas”

  Description of Nativity Exhibit

The Santa Rosa Nativity Exhibit will share its 2025 collection of over 200 Nativity Art Pieces.  Admission is free.

This year’s theme is “Home for Christmas” where visitors will be welcomed to “Grandma and Grandpa’s Home” for a Christmas Visit. Entering through Grandma’s garden, visitors will see a snowman built by one of their grandkids and find themselves among snow-covered evergreens.

An arched entry door opens into Grandfather’s study, with dozens of nativities waiting to be enjoyed. The tour progresses through the remainder of the house where guests will see all kinds of nativities from the elegant to the humorous. For example, the dining room will display nativity hot pads, towels, drinking cups and even a nativity rolling pin for making cookies or pies with a special Christmas flair.

Featured in each room this year are quilts from the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild.. Their website says, “The Santa Rosa Quilt Guild is dedicated to preserving this country’s quilting heritage through the education and enhancement of quilt-making skills. Our members have a love of quilting and all things quilt-related and welcome those who have similar interests. Since 1976, our membership has increased from a small group of founding members to over 260 and still growing!” Sample GalleryySantaRosaQuiltGuild.org

Visitors can take a family photo in Grandma’s Living Room, play the Find Grandma’s Treasures Game or visit Grandpa’s Memorabilia room where Grandpa keeps mementoes from all parts of the globe. Family History Consultants there can help guests search for family ties or have the fun of finding what famous people they are related to.

Of special note is a one-of-a-kind nativity conceived by an artist in Italy. He sculpted a large cave as a shelter for the holy family where they could warm themselves by a small fire. The exterior is dotted with bushes crafted from actual olive trees. The characters in the scene were all hand painted. The entire nativity is so large and heavy that it takes several men to lift it. When the creator of this art work grew old, he bequeathed it to his grandson in Los Angeles who had no room for such a large art piece. It was put up for sale and a woman in Santa Rosa purchased it, promising that it would be shared with the public of our community.

On Saturday at 6:30pm the First United Methodist Bell Choir, under the direction of Jerri Mendivel, will play Christmas carols and other musical arrangements. A multi-media concert will be presented on Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Guests at Grandma’s Home for Christmas will enjoy music from singers and instrumentalists.  Grandma will open her treasure chest and tell true stories of Christmas. Projections on a wide screen Illustrate the stories and songs as they unfold.