Children are pictured with alpacas at Alpacaville in Bemus Point. Aplacaville will host Christmas in a Barn at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Dan and Shauna Anderson, owners of Alpacaville farm in Bemus Point, are opening their farm to the community at 10 a.m. Saturday to host Christmas in a Barn.

The event will include a brief church service and opportunities to interact with the farm’s alpacas.

“The holiday season can be a joyful time – but it can also be very stressful,” says the Rev. Jessica Frederick, Minister for Children, Youth, and Families at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. “As former farmer, I’ve experienced the healing power of connecting with the natural world. I think it’s no accident that in the Christmas story, that God comes into the world as a baby in a barn. After all, many people experience a sense of healing and the sacred when interacting with animals. This service is an invitation to slow down and experience the divine presence among us with our animal kin.”

The Andersons, the farmers and owners of Alpacaville, view their farm as an opportunity to connect people with the healing nature of alpacas. The Christmas in a Barn event is free and open to the public. Alpacaville is located at 4463 Mahanna Road, Bemus Point. For questions and more information, contact Shauna Anderson at Alpacaville at 716-664-0663 or Jessica Frederick at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 716-483-6405.

“Many people have commented over the years that while visiting the farm and the animals they feel a spiritual sense of peace and calm,” Anderson said. “We also often hear that they find themselves relaxing in a way that is hard to describe. People return and bring their friends and other family members so they can enjoy the experience as well.”