With a live Nativity scene, Graham family Christmas memorabilia, and thousands of holiday lights, the Billy Graham Library will celebrate the 2008 holiday season with a free holiday experience, Christmas at the Library.
Festivities will run from today, December 1, through Tuesday, December 23, with extended operating hours, 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Saturday.
“Christmas at the Library is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas,” said Debra Blanton, interim director of the Billy Graham Library. “We pray that this special event is a blessing to all who visit.”
Each day, visitors to the Library will experience the excitement of the season viewing Christmas trees, including the 20-foot tree in the Library lobby, as well as Graham family Christmas items, and a gingerbread-house replica of the Library and Graham Family Homeplace.
The Graham Brothers Dairy Bar will feature Mother Graham’s pound cake, and Ruth’s Attic bookstore will offer exclusive Library ornaments, plus unique and meaningful books and gifts. A petting zoo, with a camel and other animals from the live Nativity, will be open to children and their parents daily from 1-3 p.m.
From 6-9 p.m., guests will have several additional experiences including the Nativity, horse and carriage rides throughout the property, and listening to holiday carolers and local musicians. There will also be nightly readings from selected holiday classics in the bookstore for children of all ages. Guests will be able to tour the Library in the evenings, as well as during the day.
Other highlights this holiday season include a sold-out “Teddy Bear Tea” for children ages 5 and up on December 6 and 13. This event features holiday story-telling, craft-time, and a keepsake teddy bear for each child.
The Billy Graham Library is also serving as a book collection site for Charlotte Reads, an outreach of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County working to improve literacy among youth.
Part of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the Billy Graham Library opened in June 2007, and has since had more than 220,000 visitors from around the world. The 40,000-square-foot complex provides a glimpse at the life of Mr. Graham and is a continuation of his ministry. For more information on the Library and its events, please visit www.billygraham.org/Library.
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About BGEA
From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) runs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and Will Graham; Dare to Be a Daniel, a youth evangelism training project; My Hope World Evangelism Through Television; the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team of crisis-trained chaplains; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet. For more information, please visit www.billygraham.org.