Emma Wlodarski of Brookfield, center, and other participants perform “The 12 Days of Christmas” at the 63rd annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log festival at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Youngstown. Wlodarski played the partridge in a pear tree.

YOUNGSTOWN — For more than 60 years, members of St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Youngstown have gotten into their colorful costumes and taken part in the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival.

Meg Silver of Youngstown, director of the program, said members of the church congregation and other community members have parts in the two programs that took place Sunday afternoon, which together were attended by 300 people. She said the 70 cast members are from the tri-county area and play the same parts in both performances.

“If you are a parish member here, we recruit them for this. I encourage parish members and friends of the community to take part. If they are active in our food ministry or in our music ministry here, we invite them to be part of it in some way,” Silver said.

She said preparation for the event takes several months with casting, programs and costume preparation leading up to a few rehearsals before the festival.

“There is a lot of work that goes into this.” she said.

“We have a very active and hardworking costume crew. They spend many hours cleaning costumes and getting them ready,” Silver said.

She said except during the coronavirus pandemic, the program has been held for 63 years.

“To me this is a wonderful community event where we welcome the community into our beautiful church. It is us at our best. We all decided to get together and make this happen every year,” Silver said.

She said she hoped visitors would have an appreciation for the beauty of the church and appreciated the music and the joy celebrated.

“This is more than a performance, It is a celebration of God in this world and the love he brings,” Silver said.

Sue Flasco of Columbiana, who is in charge of costumes, said it takes about a year to get new costumes made and repair others to make sure bells and other items are attached.

“It takes a lot of time but it is a lot of fun. We use many of the same costumes, but they need repairs,” Flasco said.

Noah Silver of Youngstown is a lifelong member of the church and in his 40s. His mother, Meg, got him started at age 3 as a yule log page. He has helped pull the yule log through the church for the past five years.

Noah said one year the axle on the yule log broke, so they had to carry it up the church aisle. Over the years, Noah said he has been a gift bearer, a torch bearer, a jester and a woodsman.

Michael Leckfor of Youngstown is a new parish member marking his first year in the program. In addition to helping to push the yule log, he was a friar and a woodsman.

Rebekah Silver of Youngstown was a huntsman and had her dog, Murdock, walk with her through the church during the procession.

“I am the huntsman and the one who killed the boar with the help of Murdock,” Rebekah said, noting she has had many parts for the past 20 years and started very young as a page.

Morgan Robertson of New Middletown is one of the waits for the “12 Days of Christmas.”

“It is a lot of fun. This event brings the whole church together,” she said.

Cindy Scoville of Warren was attending the event for the first time.

“I have a friend who told me all about this. I am excited to be here. She told me what a wonderful event it was,” she said.

Brookfield residents Leah Wlodarski and her sister, Emma Wlodarski, each play a wait in the “12 Days of Christmas.”

Emma is the first wait for a partridge in a pear tree and Leah the fifth wait for the five gold rings.

“I look forward to this every year. For the past five years, I have been one of the waits,” Leah said, noting she has taken part for the past 15 years.

Emma, who has taken part for 19 years, said “I was 2 when I first started, I have had so many different parts over the years. This is my eighth year being a wait. It’s a fun tradition.”

Jack Toole of Youngstown had a lead role as the Lord of the Manor.

“I have had so many different parts. I have been a shepherd, a beefeater and usher. There is such a variety of roles to take,” Toole said.

The Rev. Sally Goodall of Akron, serving as an interim pastor at the church, said when she came to the church she heard how successful the annual festival was for more than 60 years.

She had a part in the program by lighting the candle for the sprite to bring “the light of Christ into the world.”

The procession, accompanied by the choir singing, included the three wise men, the shepherds, bagpipe players, drummers, a juggler and jesters.

The First Presbyterian Church in Sharon also hosted a Boar’s Head Festival on Sunday. The Boar’s Head festival has roots in medieval Christian traditions with praise on Epiphany. The English Christmas festival takes place to symbolize the triumph of good over evil.