Fayetteville, NC celebrates "A Dickens Holiday" each year. Here are some photos from this year's event.
Though it is officially named "A Dickens Holiday" so that it is as inclusive as possible, we always refer to it as a Dickens Christmas in my home.
The celebration consumes the better part of a day, with downtown closed off to traffic (I love that we have a pedestrian mall in our downtown on Hay Street!) and many different events filling up the afternoon.
What a fun day it is, with many different people in period clothing and local actors in costumes from Dickens's A Christmas Carol running around downtown, interacting with the people. Scrooge, Tiny Tim, the Ghost of Christmas Past--all here in Fayetteville to celebrate the season!
The Facinate-U Childrens Museum offers kids the chance to make a Victorian Christmas tree ornament to take home or to hang on the community Christmas tree. The Transportation Museum offers up a Victorian model train display in addition to its other displays of period transportation. And, there's a period exhibit of Victorian life on the second floor of the Market House.
And, there are plenty of other events. Carriage rides, a tuba concert, professional chef gingerbread house competition, Victorian costume competition, and lots of entertainment. Then, of course, the local downtown merchants are out displaying their wares. There are street vendors, musicians, and carolers. The Christmas wreaths and decorations are mounted on the lampposts, and downtown is decorated and ready for Christmas!
But, the premier event occurs right after dark. The entire crowd participates in a candlelight procession down Hay Street to the Market House. What an awesome sight--thousands of people with candles strolling though the town! We enjoy a great fireworks display, and then Tiny Tim ushers in the Christmas season by lighting the community Christmas tree in the center of the Market House.
My family and I love attending this event and it will be a Christmas tradition with us for many years to come.
My favorite part?
I just love strolling through downtown, sharing gingerbread and spiced cider with my baby girls, and listening to the carolers sing all my favorite Christmas carols! Who wouldn't love to see the smiles on the faces of their children that this event brings to my children each year!
Enjoy the photos!
Comments(8)