Belton, Texas – Despite gray skies and heavy morning rains the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor hosted its 79th Annual Easter Pageant on Wednesday, March 28.
The day’s first performance was delayed 45 minutes, but the other two went on as scheduled. Together, the three performances drew approximately roughly 5,000 visitors to the UMHB campus. Additionally, all three performance were streamed live online.
While tens of thousands of people watched moments from the show, approximately 1,000 watched it in its entirety. More than 500 visitors liked the pageant enough to share it through their own social media platforms. Online viewers hailed from multiple states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, and Michigan. Others were viewing the performances from as far away as Canada, Ghana, and Germany.
For those unable to view the Easter Pageant live, the performances are still available on the UMHB Facebook page and at umhb.edu/live.
More than 300 UMHB students participated in the planning and production of the pageant, which chronicles moments from the Gospel story, including Christ’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, and Christ’s trial by Pontius Pilate, crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
The tradition of the annual Easter Pageant at UMHB began in 1940 when it was held during the afternoon on Easter Day. At that time, Mary Hardin-Baylor was an all-female campus, so all of the roles were played by women. Over time, the production expanded to include male students and additional performances during the day.
