Nativity Fest Draws Record-Breaking Opening Night Crowd

With a record-breaking crowd at Thursday night’s opening of the 48th annual Nativity Fest, the annual fair is already in full swing. Every summer, the public event takes at Nativity of Our Savoir Church in Portage from Thursday until Sunday. With great food, great activities and great people, the Nativity Fest has something for everyone.

According to Father Andrew Corona, the church holds the event to help build a community in Portage, while providing a good time for people of all ages. It also offers a good chance for fundraising to help rehabilitate the aging church building.

“Anyone who owns a home knows you constantly have to remodel, bring everything up to standard,” Corona said. “Basically, [fundraising is] what this event does for us.”

Even though the Nativity Fest is a hit each and every year, the festival had the biggest opening night it has ever seen.

“It’s never been this crowded. We put a lot of emphasis on marketing to get the word out, and we got a good response,” Corona said.

One attraction Nativity Fest offers is the local musical groups that come perform during the evening. A major difference this year is that two groups will play each night, as opposed to just one group, as in the past. This way, the fest is able to feature a wider variety of performers.

“This is a great venue for them,” Corona said.

The starting performer on Thursday was cover artist Dan Reisen, who teaches for Portage Township Schools. In the next few days, fairgoers can expect to see Nawty, Dick Diamond & the Dusters and Crawpuppies in the lineup.

Among other activities, Friday night of the Nativity Fest is traditionally Portage High School reunion night, where graduates come to meet up with friends; and karaoke will be available Sunday at 1:00, which “brings out a lot of local hidden talent,” according to Corona. With such a successful first night Corona said he had high hopes for the rest of this year’s Nativity Fest and the sense of community it provides all its attendants. “Come out and have fun with us!” Corona said.

Click here for more great photos from Opening Night of the 2013 Nativity Fest!