Staff photo by Fritz Busch As he has for many years, Ed Meidl of rural Springfield, right, plays the role of a king in the Springfield Area Nativity Theatre Association (SANTA) Christmas Pageant on the Springfield Area Community Center grounds Friday.

SPRINGFIELD — The 34th Springfield Nativity Pageant is being presented this weekend. It was performed Friday, and will repeat at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Springfield Area Community Center grounds.

There is no admission charge. All pageant attendees are invited hot chocolate and cookies at the Community Center after the performance.

Volunteers make the Springfield Area Nativity Theatre Association (SANTA) go. It is an all-volunteer production.

Volunteers wrote the pageant script based on Luke 2:7-20, selected music, sewed costumes, prepared the buildings of Bethlehem and did fund-raising to support the pageant. Funds are needed to lease animals, storage rental, insurance and promotional costs including advertising and postage, supplies, sound system equipment and maintenance, costume cleaning, repair and replacement and miscellaneous costs.

The pageant costs about $5,000 to produce each year. It is funded through fundraisers and donations.