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Festival Highlights
The Queen's Parades
2pm Saturday & 3pm Sunday
Her Majesty Queen Victoria, escorted by a colorful guard of Beefeaters in her own royal parade, greets her subjects both festival days from an elegant horse-drawn carriage draped with garlands. Others joining the 10-block procession through historic downtown Galveston include skirling bagpipe bands, a host of costumed characters and Victorian attired ladies and gentlemen, on foot and riding in decorated carriages and on horseback.
GHF Members - enjoy the parade in comfort, with a great view and other amenities! Details
Pickwick's Lanternlight Parade
7pm Saturday
Royal festivities move into the evening hours as the soft glow of gas light and holiday melodies from carolers and bagpipe bands fill the streets for a gala afterdark parade that includes musical groups, horse-drawn carriages and wagons, Victorian costumed passengers and lantern-carrying escorts.
Dickens Costume Contests
See “What the Dickens Shall I Wear” for costume tips.
Children's Activities
All day Saturday & Sunday
From Her Majesty's rare collection of exotic creatures at the Royal Menagerie petting zoo and pony rides to Scrooge's Scavenger Hunt (Sponsored by HomeTown Bank of Galveston) elephant rides and puppet shows, children of all ages will enjoy the activities in the Piccadilly Circus. Victorian craft activities will be available and children will be encouraged to express their creativity. Pick up Scavenger Hunt participation cards at any festival entry gate.
Royal Victorian Wedding Ceremony
12 noon Saturday
Westminster Abbey Stage
Victorian wedding bells will ring at noon on Saturday for brides and grooms in a special group ceremony conducted by a licensed minister. Whether it is your first time or you are renewing your vows, don't miss this magical opportunity to make your wedding day an historical event. The Royal Victorian Wedding is sponsored by Hotel Galvez, A Wyndham Historic Hotel, Island Flowers, The Wedding Chapel & Weddings by Rhea. For more information on getting married at Dickens on The Strand, please call 409-765-7834 ext. 1032.
London Wharf and the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA
10am to 9pm Saturday
10am to 6pm Sunday
Pier 22 (21st Street at Harborside Drive)
(INCLUDED WITH PURCHASE OF A DICKENS ON THE STRAND FESTIVAL TICKET)
Reflecting Back on times when the sun never set on the British Empire, London Wharf presents the jaunty tunes of a concertina as “old salts” share tall tales of life at sea. Don't miss this opportunity to see demonstrations of traditional maritime skills and purchase unique nautical crafts made by volunteer crew members of the 1877 tall ship ELISSA, a National Historic Landmark. Kids become pirates in “Jean Laffite's Last Adventure”, an interactive children's show. Free admission to those with a Dickens on The Strand festival ticket, including self-guided tours of the Texas Seaport Museum and ELISSA.
Continuous Entertainment & Holiday Shopping
All day Saturday & Sunday
There's no shortage of entertainment for royal revelers when magicians, musicians, hypnotists, acrobats and performers of all types take to the festival's stages for non-stop entertainment throughout the festival site.
Love to shop? A vast array of year-round restaurants and shops are joined by over 150 costumed vendors peddling their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with tasty culinary delights and Victorian inspired crafts clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations and gift items just in time for the holidays.
Official Dickens on The Strand commemorative items available at retail carts near each of the Mechanic Street entrance gates. One-of-a kind nautical crafts made by ELISSA volunteers available at 22nd and Strand.
Want a great place to take pictures with your family and friends? The Queen's Christmas Tree will be decorated to the nines at the Westminster Abbey stage located on 23rd Street and The Strand.
Where the Dickens is That?
All day Saturday & Sunday
Enter the architectural treasure hunt contest at Dickens on The Strand! Pick up your contest entry form at the designated booth near Piccadilly Circus during the festival. Win a day sail aboard the 1877 tall ship ELISSA and many other great prizes. Sponsored by American Institute of Architects/Houston.
Snow on The Strand
10am 'til it melts
A corner of tropical Galveston Island takes on the magic of a real winter wonderland as children 10 and younger frolic in a frosty "snow yard." Get there early, however, since there's only one guaranteed weekend of snow a year in Galveston!
Book Signings By Henry Dickens Hawksley
Henry Dickens Hawksley, great-great-grandson of the legendary author Charles Dickens will be available to sign Dickens’ literary works (which may be purchased on-site).
Mr. Hawksley will also sign books for guests attending the Dickens Feast and the English Country Breakfasts.
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