Santa Monica Christmas Nativity Scene - Images by Fabian Lewkowicz

The 58^th annual Santa Monica Christmas Nativity Scene. (Abridged Version)  Due to a lottery imposed by the City of Santa Monica, only three nativity scene of the customary 14 nativity scenes remain on displayed at Palisades Park this year. Most of the remaining spaces have been claimed by out of town atheist groups.

The annual Santa Monica Nativity Scene was an annual display of the Christmas story which has been staged at Palisades Park since 1953. The interdenominational display used to stretch along Ocean Avenue from Arizona Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard and included 14 scenes with life-size figures depicting events surrounding Christ’s birth staged by 13 local churches and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association.