Ouachita to ignite holiday spirit with 33rd annual Festival of Christmas
November 24, 2025
- Allie BellOuachita Baptist University’s School of Performing Arts kicks off the holiday season with its annual Festival of Christmas. The music and dance spectacular will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Jones Performing Arts Center.
Dr. Alex Favazza, director of choral activities and assistant professor of music, will lead student instrumentalists, the university's Concert Choir, Ouachita Singers, Ouachita Dance Company and Department of Theatre Arts actors as they perform Christmas classics enjoyable for all ages. The show’s technical crew will also include Department of Theatre Arts students.
“Festival of Christmas is a 33-year tradition that we think of as a Christmas card to our extended Ouachita family,” Adam Wheat, director of Career & Calling and stage director of the show, said. “It’s got all the holly jolly you want but also all the heart you need to recenter yourself for this special season. I hope audiences will walk away feeling loved and ready to share that love with a hurting world.”
“Festival of Christmas is a 33-year tradition that we think of as a Christmas card to our extended Ouachita family.”
— Adam Wheat
Deanne Puryear, a senior worship studies major from Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a chorus member in the show. Festival of Christmas is special to her, she shared, because she and her fellow cast members “get to give people a break from the hustle and bustle and for a moment — or an hour and a half — let them live in a little Christmas fairytale full of songs they know and love, bringing them back to the joys of being a kid.”
Kate Branstetter, a junior communication sciences and disorders major from Ponca City, Oklahoma, is a member of the Ouachita Singers and choral ensemble. She is most excited to perform for her parents, who will be visiting campus.
“Since I started attending an out-of-state university, holidays have been extra sweet,” Branstetter said. “The Christmas season is full of joy because of our Savior and the many blessings He brings – two of those being family and Festival of Christmas!”
Before the shows, the Ouachita Student Foundation is holding their Deck the Delph Christmas Market in the Verser Theatre lobby. Created to benefit student makers and student scholarships, Deck the Delph is a perfect way to get Christmas shopping done early and contribute to an important cause.
Festival of Christmas is open to the public, with Ouachita inviting community members to join this celebration of the season. Tickets are $12-15 and can be purchased at obu.edu/boxoffice or on weekdays from 1-5 p.m. at the Ouachita Box Office in JPAC. Ouachita students may receive one free ticket with their university ID. For more information, contact the box office at 870-245-5555.
Ouachita’s School of Performing Arts offers band, music and theatre scholarships enabling students to study in a Christ-centered learning community. For more information, visit obu.edu/sopa.
Lead photo by Meghann Bledsoe
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