Marshall Christmas Pageant, town fixture since the 1960s, returns after 2-year COVID delay

MARSHALL - For many Madison County residents, attending or participating in the Marshall Christmas Pageant has been a family tradition for generations.

The pageant was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, and though forecasts called for rain and threatened to hamper the pageant for a third consecutive year, the weather cleared Dec. 3, allowing the festivities on the Madison County Courthouse lawn and the Blannahassett Island Bridge to go on as planned.

The pageant dates back to 1963, according to Kary Ledford, the pageant's director.

"We have 27 cast members, the choir, and there are seven of us on the board," said Ledford, who also serves as the county finance director. "We take donations from local churches, and we're not affiliated with any church."

According to Ledford, the board typically meets beginning the first week of September to initiate the planning process for the pageant.

Ledford has served as pageant director since 1998.

"I was a donkey-riding Mary for four years," Ledford said.

Fran Randall, 49, has participated in the pageant for more than 15 years. Randall, who was born the year the pageant started, said he used to attend the festivities as a kid.

"My grandparents would grab me and they'd come down, and my parents would come down," Randall said. "I've watched the whole evolution of it. All of my children have been in it."

According to Randall, he and his son, Jake, served as two of the Three Wise Men, or Magi, in this year's pageant.

"I was thinking this would probably be my last year, so I wasn't going to do it this year, but they promoted (Jake) to Wise Man, so I thought, 'two Wise Men,'" Randall said.

Jacque Malone and Christiaan Ramsey served as choir directors. Leonard Gosnell was the pageant's light director, while Randy Johnson and Rodney Wallin served as sound director and props director, respectively.

Debbie Shelton warmed up attendees by giving away apple cider, hot chocolate and baked goods at the service. Shelton said she first learned of the pageant through members of her church, Long Branch Baptist Church in Marshall.

As with the Randalls, Shelton said she and many of her family members make the trek to downtown Marshall on the first Saturday of December every year for the pageant.

"My family has been doing this for the last 20 years off an on," Shelton said. "My husband, when he was living, sang in the choir. One of my sons has played 'Gabriel,' and two of my granddaughters have played 'The Littlest Angels.' They had to stand on the hay (to be seen). I have an older son who is usually the shepherd, but this year he's demoted himself and he's taking care of the donkey.

"As far as my family goes, it's pretty much a tradition - with some of them. Not all of them participate," Shelton said. "My church was very active for many years in this, and my family just kind of kept it up. For the last two years it's been kind of bad. But it's been fun this year. We think it's great."

According to Randall, this year's donkey was the fourth or fifth donkey used in his time participating in the pageant. In past Christmas celebrations, the pageant has featured sheep, too.

Marla King, who is in charge of caretaking the animals at the pageant, said the Dec. 3 pageant marks the 12th year the pageant's donkey, Millie, has served in the show.

"Then I had a donkey before that, who had done it for 20 years," King said. "His name was Larry."

Peggy Roberts serves on the board alongside Ledford. Roberts' participation in the pageant dates back 23 years.

Roberts played the Biggest Angel in the pageant, and served as the choir director as well.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to Marshall," Roberts said. "Everybody knows, that at the first (Saturday) of December, this is what we look forward to. Kary (Ledford) made the call today and we didn't know if we were going to get to have it (Dec. 3)."

According to Roberts, the pageant has served as an inspiration for her after being diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer a little more than three years ago.

"When I look up at my angels standing up there, it's just ... it's just amazing," Roberts said while fighting back tears.

Roberts worked for 25 years in Madison County Schools, including most recently as a teacher's assistant at Madison Early College High School.

"Some of the younger kids might not really know what the pageant was about, so before we came down, we sat down and talked about it and everything," Roberts said. "It's an inspiration for these young people. Most of them, they were my students in school. They helped me through my cancer."

Like Roberts, Ledford was grateful the rain held off, allowing the pageant to go on as planned, as the pageant is so meaningful to so many local families, the director said.

"It's wonderful. It touches people's lives," Ledford said. "I get so nervous and anxious, but then when it all comes together, it's just a wonderful thing."

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Marshall Christmas Pageant returns after 2-year COVID delay