Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

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My family went to San Franciso this weekend to attend the Dickens Christmas Fair.  This event has been a San Francisco holiday tradition for 28 years!  Some people go once and think it is sufficient, but not us.  Nope, we go just about every year.  It really is loads of fun.  It is a theatrical re-creation of London during Victorian Christmastime.  The venue is a place called The Cow Palace (where dog shows, rodeos, and tractor pulls are held), which is transformed for several weekends in December into quaint Victorian streets full of intriguing shops, and characters dressed up in authentic looking costumes, all completely in character, down to perfect English accents.   There are four stages providing various types of entertainment–theatrical reproductions, illusionists, bawdy singing, Scottish dancing, and the Fezziwig Dance Pavillion. 

Above you see some Chimney Sweeps.  It is supposed to be good luck to kiss them, but I just couldn’t do it.

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Here is poor old Jacob Marley, dragging his chains through the streets of London.  I swear there was a chill in the air when he passed by.

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I met the Phantom of the Opera, who was a charming fellow, despite his disfigurement.  He presented me with a silk rose bud after I took his picture.

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These lovely women were mannequins in the shop widow of Dark Gardens, a shop for Creative Corsetry.  It was startling when they moved slowly to change their position.  You would not believe the men gathered in front of the window taking pictures!  Inside, one could be properly fitted with an authentic corset.  I was intrigued, but somehow the prow of a ship look just isn’t me.

I passed Ebeneezer Scrooge on the street and greeted him warmly.  He snarled "Bah Humbug" in response and walked by too quickly for me to snap his picture.  I did spy him a bit later on in his nightshirt, having a conversation with Christmas Present.  I sure hope he got straightened out.  The guy was totally rude to me.

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My family and I wandered around for hours, sipping hot cider and eating things like meat pies and fish and chips.   Many people who attend the Dickens Faire dress up in costumes themselves.  My son in law dressed in a black suit and hamburg hat (he claimed he was a Gentleman Pirate), my daughter as a street urchin (complete with newsboy cap), my son as an Irish Fisherman (tweed cap and fisherman smock), and I strove for a George Sand in her smoking jacket kind of look.  Check out the cool Turkish hat I finished off my outfit with.

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The day was extremely entertaining, and we all came home totally full of the spirit of Christmas.  I highly recommend it!

38 responses to “The Great Dickens Christmas Fair”

  17. Wow…I’ve never seen anything like that. It looks like a great tradition to keep. How fun to feel like you are back in time.

  18. Wow…I’ve never seen anything like that. It looks like a great tradition to keep. How fun to feel like you are back in time.

  19. Oh, that sounds like such fun! I could see me doing this with my older son. He’d be right in his element. He played Scrooge in his high school production, senior year, and was outstanding, according to the reviews. LOL! He really was quite good. He would fit right in and have a great time here. Thanks for sharing the pictures! You told the story amusingly, too. I read it aloud to my husband as he cooked, and he chuckled several times.

  20. Oh, that sounds like such fun! I could see me doing this with my older son. He’d be right in his element. He played Scrooge in his high school production, senior year, and was outstanding, according to the reviews. LOL! He really was quite good. He would fit right in and have a great time here. Thanks for sharing the pictures! You told the story amusingly, too. I read it aloud to my husband as he cooked, and he chuckled several times.

  21. How totally fun! I love the photos. What a neat turkish hat. You have the neatest family to be out enjoying the season doing this.
    The only problem…if I would have known you were out I would have been busy thiefing your fabrics. Bah Humbug!!!
    Bay Area Born and Bred…(just figured I’d share that) but living in Florida. Not sure to smile or do more Scrooging. Coast to Coast Love, *karendianne.

  22. How totally fun! I love the photos. What a neat turkish hat. You have the neatest family to be out enjoying the season doing this.
    The only problem…if I would have known you were out I would have been busy thiefing your fabrics. Bah Humbug!!!
    Bay Area Born and Bred…(just figured I’d share that) but living in Florida. Not sure to smile or do more Scrooging. Coast to Coast Love, *karendianne.

  25. What fun you all must have had I love your hat you wore you seem to have a lot of things going on in America makes Australia a bit stale.

  26. What fun you all must have had I love your hat you wore you seem to have a lot of things going on in America makes Australia a bit stale.

  29. How fun!! Love the pictures – thank you for sharing! Your hat is just too-too! Wish I could’ve seen the rest of the outfit.

  30. How fun!! Love the pictures – thank you for sharing! Your hat is just too-too! Wish I could’ve seen the rest of the outfit.

  33. Wow — this looks like so much fun! I’d love to go to something like this — as would my mom. And I laughed at your previous post about tree decorating. Looks like our house — the men sleep, the women decorate LOL!

  34. Wow — this looks like so much fun! I’d love to go to something like this — as would my mom. And I laughed at your previous post about tree decorating. Looks like our house — the men sleep, the women decorate LOL!

  35. That looks like it would be such a great event. I can see why you would go back year after year.
    Might need to make a trip to San Fransico for Christmas one year!!

  36. That looks like it would be such a great event. I can see why you would go back year after year.
    Might need to make a trip to San Fransico for Christmas one year!!

  37. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE San Francisco!! We used to go every year at Christmas time when we lived in the Bay are. There’s no where better for the holiday. Ok, maybe New York, but never been there.

  38. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE San Francisco!! We used to go every year at Christmas time when we lived in the Bay are. There’s no where better for the holiday. Ok, maybe New York, but never been there.