THE SUNDAR SHADI HOLIDAY DISPLAY is a cherished El Cerrito tradition that has been maintained for 76 years now.
Midway up a bushy, grassy hill, lined on one side with eucalyptus trees and the opposite with Moeser Lane, the Sundar Shadi Holiday Display depicts the city of Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. The handcrafted scene includes figures such as the “Three Wise Men” atop camels, an angel, a shepherd with a flock of more than 60 sheep, a collection of lights symbolizing stars in the night sky, and a large blue star lit overhead.
Hand-built by Indian immigrant Sundar Shadi, who was inducted into the El Cerrito Wall of Fame in 1990, the display was originally created after his wife, Dorothy Cotelle Clark, suggested he make a display for the Christmas season. Beginning with a blue star, the display slowly grew as Shadi continued to create new models from a variety of materials, including papier-mâché, plaster, wood, metal, fabric, plastic tablecloths, rope, milk cartons, and paint.
These models were originally set up on Shadi’s property on Arlington Boulevard in El Cerrito, attracting busloads of people from as far as San Jose and Sacramento. The models Shadi left behind after his death in 2002 were moved before his estate was sold, as Soroptimist International member and former El Cerrito Mayor Jane Bartke initiated a movement to repair and relocate the display, upon suggestion from her husband, Rich Bartke. At the time of Shadi’s death, Rich Bartke was serving as an attorney for Shadi’s family. Previously, he had served as El Cerrito mayor and a City Council member.
Preparing for the big reveal
This year, members of the display planning committee showed up around 9 a.m. on Dec. 13 to set up the display before introducing it to visitors later during the 5 p.m. opening ceremony. That evening, committee leader and former El Cerrito Mayor Greg Lyman turned on the lights and music, as visitors gathered to appreciate Shadi’s gift to the community. The display, which will remain up until Dec. 26, features lights and music that start nightly at 5 p.m. Shepherd volunteers are also present to answer questions about the display and supervise visitors.
Planning committee members work on the display throughout the year, meeting on the second Friday and Saturday each month from March until November. During this time, members restore display pieces and make other repairs to prepare them for their annual, two-week appearance.
Some planning committee members have more specialized roles. Michelle Fadelli manages the display’s Facebook page, sharing photos and videos of it throughout the year. Fadelli said she especially focuses on photos from when the display was still next to Shadi’s property on Arlington Boulevard.
“It’s a lot of fun because we get a lot of responses and people end up sharing their childhood memories of visiting the display in the ’50s and ’60s and ’70s,” Fadelli said. “It’s really sweet to hear those stories.”
This past year’s repairs to the display involved repainting and applying a sealer to all of the sheep and houses of Bethlehem, replastering, repainting, and repairing the broken legs of the camels, and creating camels’ beards by unwinding and fraying rope. Fadelli also reclothed the wise men, replacing their plastic tablecloth headpieces with velvet ones, and even decorating them with jewels.
Volunteers behind the scenes
Like Lyman and Fadelli, committee member Donna Houser was brought on board by the Bartkes. For her, a day’s work involves preparing sign-ups for people to work at night when the display is completed, and making food and drink for volunteers on setup days.
These setup days involve laying a preliminary groundwork on Dec. 6, followed by the transport, unloading, and placement of the display pieces on Dec. 13. Once the display is taken down, the planning committee resumes their monthly repairs and preparations in March.
As for volunteers, roles can vary widely. Scouts BSA Troop 104 is responsible for bringing the display pieces up the hill, after which they, along with other local volunteers, help to place the pieces according to the planning committee’s instructions.
“I just do whatever needs doing,” said Beowulf Hootman, a member of Troop 104.
This sentiment was also reflected by other volunteers, who were directed by planning committee members and responsible for a variety of setup roles. This included prepping the ground for the models, creating the fencing around the display, hooking the star and lights to the fencing, carrying the models from the truck that brought them to the area, preparing the wise men and camels, and much, much more.
Already involved in the El Cerrito Historical Society, volunteer Jon Bashor was brought on board by Lyman. His role is a bit more specialized, as he focuses on putting up the fencing and directing members of Scouting America, formerly known as the Boys Scouts of America, in their work.
“Today we put out the snacks, get things ready, and then we get to work,” Bashor said. “We started pounding in these metal stakes and are putting up — I don’t know — around a thousand feet of fencing.”
Other volunteers, such as Aubrey Cox and Nikki Hootman, were first introduced to the display when their children were enrolled in the Scouts.
“Every year the Cub Scouts come and do shepherding and some Christmas carols, so that’s how we were introduced,” Hootman said.
Through the Bartkes, Lyman and the rest of the planning committee, as well as Scouting America, the Shadi display has amassed many volunteers that continue to uphold its tradition.
In spite of its success, though, Lyman voiced some concerns around the display’s legacy. He said it is now necessary to be looking ahead and making sure there are volunteers who will keep the display alive.
In the meantime, volunteers and visitors alike delight in and express gratitude for Shadi’s gift to his community. Enduring for more than 75 years and including more than 500 handcrafted models, his world has remained an enchanting attraction of human love, connection, and holiday tradition.
Christopher Laursen-Bailey is a 10th grader at El Cerrito High School in El Cerrito and a CCYJ reporter. This story originally appeared in CCSpin.