Christmas in Nanaimo: Singing Christmas Tree a 20-year tradition

NANAIMO: Thousands of volunteer hours required to host the annual free production, spread holiday cheer.

The Singing Christmas Tree is back for a 20th year at ET Family Church.

The Singing Christmas Tree is back for a 20th year at ET Family Church.

For 20 years,  ET  Family Church’s Singing Christmas Tree has been providing central Island residents with a holiday tradition.

This year’s production is entitled Special Delivery.

It’s the story of cousins Mary and Elizabeth and the peculiar circumstances regarding their pregnancies.

With Elizabeth’s husband unable to talk, Mary’s fiancée threatening to leave and a mysterious angel added into the mix, the question remains, is this really God’s plan?

Performance dates are Dec. 7-9 and Dec. 14-16. Nightly performances are at 7 p.m. for all dates as well as 4 p.m. matinee performances Saturdays and Sundays.

At nearly eight metres tall, the Singing Christmas tree requires 3,500 lights using 42,000 watts and needs 12 technicians to put on the production.

Add the choir members and more than 40,000 pieces of tinsel, the tree tops out at 4,000 kilograms.

It takes 120 volunteers 18,000 man hours of planning and rehearsing the program – as well as constructing the tree to put on the show.

Tickets are free and available at ET Family Church, 1300 Princess Royal Ave. and Tia Mei’s Cafe, 741 Third St., in the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.

Tickets guarantee a seat at the show and doors open 15 minutes prior to the performance.

For more information, please visit www.etfamilychurch.com e-mail info@nanaimoet.com or call 250-753-0258.

Nanaimo News Bulletin