Bringing Charles Dickens to life for 35 years

Now in its 35^th 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 19^th 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.

Wine Road's Wine & Food Affair

This November over 100 of the Santa Rosa area’s most loved wineries will open their doors for the popular 15^th Annual Wine & Food Affair. Wine country chefs, caterers & winery culinary teams will prepare unique recipes to compliment a highlighted wine at each winery.

During the weekend’s festivities (November 2 and 3) guests will visit an impressive list of wineries spanning the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, taste the food & wine offerings, try other wines from the wineries, and take home the event cookbook Tasting Along the Wine Road with all of the participating recipes for the weekend (included in the ticket price).

The event is open from 11am to 4pm each day. This event does sell out and there are no ticket sales at the doors of the wineries for this event.  Prices are $70 Weekend; $50 Sunday only; $30 Designated Driver – for tickets and more information please visit www.wineroad.com.

Each year thousands of food & wine lovers travel to Northern Sonoma County to attend the highly revered Wine & Food Affair. This premier event produced by Wine Road is a rare opportunity to experience up-close and in-person what vintners are producing and how they personally recommend complementing their wine with food. Each participating winery prepares a unique recipe to go along with their wine.

Visitors can see a Google map of all of the 2013 participants, create their own printable event map & itinerary for the weekend and find winery locations & the special recipe each will prepare & serve for the event to plan which to visit.

Wine Road, an association of wineries and lodgings in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys, presents three events each year: Winter WINEland in January; Barrel Tasting in March; and A Wine & Food Affair in November. You can read more about the events and create online interactive maps of the region here. 

Click on VisitSantaRosa.com for more information or call (707) 577-8674.

For more information about top events in California take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in California.