Williamsburg Va Vacation

Walk With Animals event combines Bible stories, petting zoo

MARIETTA - Hundreds of children of all ages learned about the Bible and petted animals of all kinds on Saturday during the Crown of Life Lutheran Church's fifth annual Walk with the Animals Country Fest.

Parents and children piled into the Washington County Fairgrounds Junior Fair Building to make tissue paper flowers, pet a menagerie of animals and take hay rides around the fairgrounds. Pastor Joel Vogel dressed as Jesus and told stories from the Bible.

Vogel portrayed the Son of God in "Jesus and the Big Catch of Fish" and "Jesus Calms the Storm" on a small stage in the building.

Betty Britton of Marietta brought her five grandchildren, although she is not a member of the church.

"I read about it and thought it would be a fun thing for the grandkids to do," she said as she took photographs of them in competition to see who could make a scarecrow the fastest. "They seem to be having a great time."

While last year did not have many animals, this year there was a petting zoo outside of the Junior Fair Building with puppies, kittens, bunnies, goats, a calf and a miniature horse.

"We read about this and thought our son Taylor, 2, would have fun," said Erin Agee of Williamsburg, Va., who is in Marietta visiting family. "He just loves animals and with all of the different kinds here, he's having a great time."

They spent most of their time in the petting zoo, walking with the geese and Taylor petting every furry creature he could reach.

The event started five years ago as an alternative to traditional vacation Bible schools held by churches in the summer, Vogel said.

"Five years ago we were looking for something different to do as opposed to the usual week-long VBS and we had heard about this program and changed it to fit our needs," he said. "So far, it has worked out great."

Along with the petting zoo, the West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center brought hawks, owls and other animals for demonstration.

"Last year we kind of got away from the animals and it wasn't as fun or as well received as when we did, so we decided to add a lot more this year," Vogel said.

While the free event takes the place of the church's vacation Bible school, it was open to anyone who wanted to learn and have fun.

"We figured that not only is the day a great way to help children understand the teachings of the Bible, but it also gets our name out into the community and allows us to share the gospel," Vogel said. "With this event we are able to reach out to more children than our VBS did.

Williamsburg, Virginia Travel & Vacation Guide: Williamsburg VA ...

Although special events are planned, much of what the team will discover are attractions and things to do that showcase how patriotic Williamsburg is on a daily basis. Things to do at Colonial Williamsburg include a carriage ride along the Duke of Gloucester Street, attending the Revolutionary City Program, talking to George Washington or Patrick Henry, and watching the Fifes and Drums regime.

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