HOLY CITY OF THE WICHITAS – Organizers of the 97th annual Easter pageant at the Holy City are hoping to draw as many as 12,000 people to the longest continuing outdoor celebration of Jesus’ life and resurrection.
This year’s first viewing of the pageant was held April 9, the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The second show will be April 16 – the Saturday before Easter - at the Holy City of the Wichitas, located inside the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Paul Frable, president of the Holy City board of directors, said he’s optimistic that the event can once again return to its average attendance of 12,000 and optimistically is hoping to reach the 20,000 mark following the two-year battle against COVID-19. The yearly Easter play drew only 350 in 2020 during the COVID-ravaged year. The play was held in October of that year because of the virus. In 2021, the play drew almost 4,000 people, Frable said.
This year, there will be a surprise for those attending the pageant.
“We have a special scene with the Sermon on the Mount, but I’m not going to be spoiling it. I’ll just say we’re moving to be interactive with the audience,” Frable said last week.
The script, as usual, sticks to the story of Jesus as told in the Gospel of John.
“We do a pretty good of it, but the timeline might be a little off in places,” Frable admitted. “We’re thrilled to death with putting it on again in front of large audiences.”
Some cast members have been part of the pageant for the past 50 years. Frable has been part of the play for seven years as a disciple, priest and narrator in the sound booth.
The Prince of Peace Pageant has always been a major attraction, drawing as many as 200,000 people in the early 1930s and once in the early 1950s, Frable said. The play, which started in 1926, was originally performed in a different location near Medicine Park before moving to the Holy City, which is now a National Historical site. During the early years, the play was held “very early” in the day so the resurrection scene could be witnessed at sunrise.
“They continued doing that into the 1970s,” Frable said.
In 1948, a complete movie production was made about the Holy City play. The movie was released in 1949.
“They had everything but the Hollywood actors,” Frable said. “The world premiere was held in Lawton and the front row seats went for $1,000 each.”
This year’s pageant, however, won’t cost that much. Donations, which help fund the pageant and upkeep of the area, are accepted as people drive into the Holy City. People are asked to bring their lawn chairs and blankets. No other seating is available.
The play begins at 8:15 p.m. and ends somewhere between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. There is no intermission. Live entertainment and tours of the Holy City will be part of the festivities during the afternoon. Food trucks will also be on site.
Directions to Holy City: Exit Interstate 44 at Exit 45 toward Medicine Park and Love’s. Proceed west six miles west into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and follow the signs for three more miles.