A major festival that has drawn many thousands to the Palmyra area will be ending in a couple of years. The Hill Cumorah Pageant wrapped up its 81st season in July, with around 25,000 people attending. But it will only be around through 2020, and then cease production.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Saturday that several pageants including the flagship pageant in Palmyra would be modified, or would be ending.
According to the church leadership, they are mindful of a growing, world-wide church and took under consideration how to reduce the burden of church member time commitments, cost, security, impact to church sites and more in their decision.
Pageant President Neil Pitts said the staff of the Hill Cumorah Pageant is supportive of the decision.
“We had a wonderful run,” Pitts said. “Our church has asked us to focus more on the family, and this is certainly in line with that desire. We have had a wonderful 81 years and will focus on making the next two years an amazing experience for our cast, crew and audience.”
Pitts said right now, the focus of pageant officials is to communicate with regional and community partners and the pageant staff most affected by the announcement.
The production started as a reenactment of the Book of Mormon and Bible by local missionaries on makeshift stages lit by car headlamps. It has grown to be what organizers say is the largest outdoor theatrical event in North America attended by more than visitors from around the world.
An all-volunteer cast of about 750 and 150 staff and technical crew work to stage the production annually. Pageant officials say that local service groups in the Palmyra and Manchester areas provide concessions during the pageant, and it serves as those groups’ largest fund-raiser.
The 2019 performance of the Hill Cumorah Pageant will take place July 12-13 and 16-20
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