Now in its 35th year, the one-of-a-kind Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party kicks off on November 23 at San Francisco’s historic Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave. for five weekends.
The Fair runs Saturdays and Sundays (including the Friday after Thanksgiving!) through December 22, from 10am to 7pm.
A beloved Bay Area tradition and one of the most elaborate, inventive and authentically-Victorian Christmas events anywhere in the world, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party showcases over three acres of exhibition halls transformed into a brilliant facsimile of Victorian London circa 1865.
An ever-changing recreated slice of Charles Dickens’ London, warmly lit and lovingly decorated, with winding lanes, shops, pubs, tearooms, lecture halls, a grand Music Hall and the London dockside will be brought to life by more than 750 authentically-dressed actors.
Wander your way through 19th Century London alleyways, follow upper-crusty Petticoat Lane down to Nickleby Road, and discover Mad Sal’s Dockside Alehouse, a raucous re-creation of a Victorian working class dance hall. In between, eat and drink a delicious array of British pub fare, enjoy an entire sit-down family dinner, and view shops filled to the brim with unique crafts, toys and arts.
Fairgoers of all ages will meet the characters of Charles Dickens’ London who combine their talents to create a fully immersive Victorian holiday experience. From Queen Victoria herself all the way down to Tiny Tim, the Dickens Fair brings to life a mixture of fictional and historic characters. Mingle with roving chimney sweeps, musicians, carolers, London bobbies, magicians, and saucy sailors. Gala parades, including the daily Toy Parade and the Father Christmas Parade, wind through the crowds, adding to the festivity.
The Yuletide season is also a time for youngsters to delight in special activities, games and gifts – and at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, holiday entertainment opportunities abound for both the young and the young at heart.
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is directed and produced each year by the Patterson family, creators and producers for more than three decades of the world’s original Renaissance Faires at Black Point Forest in Marin County and in Southern California.
For details of tickets and more information call (800) 510-1558 ext. 114 or visit www.dickensfair.com where print-at-home discount tickets are available.
Take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in California for more information about top events in California.