by Noella Noelophile®
If it’s September first, can the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Victorian Holiday Party be far behind?
OK–it starts in November. Then, why such an early post from me, on the Bay Area’s iconic celebration of Charles Dickens’ world at Christmastime?
Because–they have a gift for you.
This Wednesday, September 6th, at 10 am, Early Bird tickets go on sale, for the 39th annual Dickens Fair! Show dates are on weekends, November 18th through December 17th, at the historic Cow Palace, in Daly City.
Early Bird prices, according to Dickens Fair’s website, are available from September 6th through October 15th, or while supplies last. These are all-day tickets, and valid for the first and second weekends of the Dickens Fair: November 18th-19th and Thanksgiving weekend, November 24th, 25th and 26th. (Yes–they are open on the Friday after Thanksgiving! Which makes this a great time to plan ahead.)
All tickets for the Dickens Fair must be purchased online in advance. There will be no sales onsite.
If you are an active member of the military (thank you!), you and three family members can receive free admission during the first and second weekends of the Dickens Fair, with your military ID. (Active members of the military do NOT need to reserve your tickets in advance–just present your military ID at Will Call.)
Inside the Dickens Fair
And if you’ve never before experienced the Dickens Fair–it really is like stepping into a “Victorian Christmas card”.
An interactive one, where you may well find yourself saying hello to Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Present.
Or nibbling roasted chestnuts as you play Victorian games. Or taking in a Punch and Judy show or a saucier type of adult entertainment, at Mad Sal’s Alehouse.
Or even making way for Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, as Old Fezziwig’s Dance Party gets going.
This year’s Dickens Fair also includes some immersive experiences.
Sherlock Holmes may enlist your help, in solving a mystery. Tour guides straight out of Dickens’ pages will show you various ways to enjoy your visit to Victorian London. Very young Dickensians (and those young at heart) can enjoy a self-guided tour of the amusements and amazements included in “A Children’s Tour of London”.
Guests over the age of 21 may even wind up scouring the streets and pubs of London, on the “Jekyll and Hyde Pub Crawl”, in search of a way to rescue Dr. Jekyll from his nefarious kidnapper.
To get involved
But–suppose you’d like to participate in the festivities? Perhaps you’re a talented musician, dancer or another type of performer? Or, maybe you’d like to work at the Dickens Fair?
Auditions for performers will be held on September 9th, 16th and 23rd. Here’s the link for more information.
The same link will tell you where to e-mail, to find out more about working either in Event Operations or Production.
And if you’re a top-notch, artisan or other type of vendor–as many Noelophile® readers are–you’re invited to come see the 2023 Great Dickens Christmas Fair and mark your calendar for April, 2024.
Not surprisingly, vendor spaces have already been filled for this year. But the Dickens Fair website says that 2024 applications are going live in April.
They also advise that previous attendance is required to apply, so make sure you see the show this season!
Now, that’s MY kind of research.