For our final adventure of 2022, we drove to Hyde Park, NY to Mariapolis Luminos. The address is 200 Cardinal Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538. Mariapolis Luminos is one of Focolore’s little cities around the world. What is Focolore? It is a Gospel-based movement for spiritual and social renewal. At Mariapolis Luminos, each year, there is a display of more than 200 Nativity Scenes from around the world. My parents had always wanted to go, but never made it. So we all went together the day after Christmas. Mariapolis Luminos is not in Hyde Park proper, but on the outskirts deep in the woods. Once you turn onto the driveway of the property, you will see signs directing you down a long wooded drive to a parking lot on your right. Then, on foot, you follow signs leading you to the conference center where the displays are set up. It is a beautiful location, very peaceful and serene.
The hours of the display were from 1 to 7pm, and there were select dates it was open to the public, December 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 21th, 22th, 23rd, 26th, and 27th. On a few of those dates, there were even scheduled choir performances. The event is “free,” but there is a suggested donation of $5 per person, and my dad generously paid for everyone with one of the ladies manning the welcome desk inside the conference building. The displays are set up along either side of a long hallway, and they are beyond amazing!
I was a bit worried about the girls wanting to touch the displays, but I shouldn’t have been. All three were on their best behavior, and simply looked with their eyes. Even better, the ladies at the desk gave each child a clipboard with a pencil and a scavenger hunt! Stormy was over the moon! She quietly worked her way up and down the hallway trying to find everything with Rainbow right on her heels! Pebble can’t read or write, but I showed her the picture of the Nativity we were looking for, and she proved to be very quick at spotting them. On the scavenger hunt, we had to state which country, region or state a scene came from, or what animals were in the scene, etc. The visual aspect of it meant Pebble could participate, and she was one happy camper!
I cannot begin to describe what a feast for the eyes these displays were. They were from everywhere, and so very different. Stormy found one made from the ash of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. I loved the one made out of Japanese origami. The halos used in the Mexican displays were unique, and the Nativity in blown glass from Italy, wow! We wandered that hallway for over an hour, trying to absorb the details.
There was a room at the end of the hall where one could get a cup of coffee for a donation, and I left a donation for a book called Bringing Jesus back to Christmas, Creches from around the World. The girls took some time here to write their wishes on a star for the wish tree set-up in the room. All three wanted their uncle, who had been sick, to get better. For the first time since my brother became ill, I felt a little peace here among these Nativity Scenes.
When the girls had completed their wishes, and chomped down on some candy canes they were given by the ladies here, we headed back to the car. We stopped briefly in the gift shop, and then the girls played for a short bit on the playground near the car. There was also a giant frozen puddle that all 3 tried to “skate” on, but mostly ended up on their bottoms. It was a wonderful little adventure, and everyone had a great time. If you are ever in Hyde Park at Christmas time, definitely consider coming here to see these wonders for yourself. Happy trails!
