Do you remember the drive-up Christmas pageant in Golden Gate Park during the 1960's?

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I'm trying to firm up a childhood Christmas memory and I hope others have the same one and can help.

In the early to mid 1960's, on a chilly SF night during the month of December, my parents would drive us to one of the meadows in Golden Gate Park where we, along with many other vehicles, would park with the cars pointed towards the meadow. The car headlights thus provided lighting for a pageant of the Christmas story which included real animals and music that we could hear from the warmth of our cars.

Does anyone else remember doing this? I was very young at the time so I may have remembered things incorrectly. I think we went for several years in a row and I remember that it was quite elaborate yet also quite low key.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who may have attended. Thank you!

-- Ann Tuttle (zippy2dah@comcast.net), November 21, 2004

Answers

Yes, I remember this event too, but very vaguely, I belive it was at the meadow with the polo gounds behind it?

-- Mike Vishniakoff (MVishniako@aol.com), November 22, 2004.

I absolutely remember the real sheep in the meadow...it was in Lindley Meadow which is right across from Spreckels Lake.

-- Sarah Pearce (spearce107@aol.com), December 07, 2004.

It was called the "Living Nativity." I can't remember if all the Christian churches in San Francisco would take turns putting on the pageant, or only the Lutheran churches. Anyway, about 1966 or 1967 it was my church's turn, and us kids in the Walther League youth group played all the parts (except for the baby Jesus; he was a doll). I was a wise man. There was a real shepherd to accompany the sheep, and one of our teachers also played a shepherd. The sheep stampeded and we all howled with laughter watching our teacher take chase after them.

-- Judy Hitzeman (hitzjm@yahoo.com), January 27, 2005.

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