Hispanics United for Perry hosted one of the biggest audiences in recent memory for their annual Las Posadas event Friday evening.

Las Posadas translates into “the inns” or “the lodgings,” and symbolizes the journey of Mary and Joseph as they attempted to find shelter to give birth to Jesus. The traditional Latino Christmas celebration normally takes place over nine days, but the Perry version is a single night. The festivities commenced with an ecumenical service at First Christian Church.

The service was followed by the procession down 2nd Street. The crowd stopped at El Buen Gusto, Casa de Oro, and the Mandarin Cafe. At each location, a few singers stepped inside while the rest stayed outside with Mary and Joseph. They sang a traditional carol, where one group asked for shelter and the other replied there was no room. The procession eventually made its way to First United Methodist Church, where they were finally welcomed in. At the church, attendees were given a dinner in exchange for a free-will donation, with all proceeds going toward Hispanics United for Perry. There was also music and entertainment, as well as crafts.

The organizers for Las Posadas were very pleased with the large turnout, as well as thankful for the good weather. To see pictures from the event, go to RaccoonValleyRadio.com and click on this story.