Dickens On The Strand
The 46th annual Dickens on the Strand Christmas Festival returns to Galveston Island, TX on Friday, December 6, 2019 and continues until Sunday, December 8, 2019. It is a three-day street festival which takes place in the Historic Strand District. With most of the Strand area’s architecturally rich buildings now restored, Galveston’s historic downtown provides the perfect backdrop for this internationally acclaimed family holiday event.
The festival is a holiday tradition featuring parades, non-stop entertainment, strolling carolers, roving musicians, bagpipers, jugglers and a host of other entertainers.
Our favorite parades are the Queen’s Parade and the Victorian Bed Race parade. The Queen’s Parade is held both Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Victorian Bed Race parade is on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. It’s always a crowd favorite and pits 5-person teams against each other for a footrace down Galveston’s historic streets. We also suggest the Pickwick’s Lanternlight Parade.
History
Dickens on the Strand was established in 1974. Tourists visit Galveston Island to celebrate this festival and to re-live the era of Charles Dickens. It revolves around the Victorian London of the 19th Century. You honestly feel like your back in time. Besides offering some wonderful entertainment, this festival is also known for the best shopping experiences as well. Costumed vendors peddle their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations and gift items.
The festival is sponsored by the Galveston Historical Foundation. Every year, this festival attracts between 5,000 to 20,000 visitors. Approximately 100 to 500 exhibitors participate in the festival.
Details Of The Festival
This year’s festival kicks off Friday, December 6th at 5 p.m. and concludes Sunday, December 8th at 6 p.m. There is a lot of entertainment which people come across during this festival. There are six stages, a lot of jugglers, carolers, musicians who play the best tunes and music, bagpipers and ongoing parades.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $9 for children ages 7-12 for Saturday or Sunday. We want to share some good news with you. Your ticket price also includes admission to London Wharf (Pier 21) and the 1877 ELISSA, the Official Tall Ship of Texas. The ELISSA is an authentic Dickens-era artifact.
Friday night admission is free and Attendees in Victorian costume are admitted for ½ price.
Conclusion
Dickens on the Strand is one of the most exciting festivals on Galveston Island. The tourists who come to Galveston Island are warmly welcomed. The weekend weather forecast calls for perfect festival weather with temperatures in the mid 60’s with no rain. We encourage to come on down to the island to experience this fantastic festival. We have availability at Galveston Caszatt Condos. Mention this blog post and we’ll discount 15% off the nightly rate. We strive to offer comfortable, competitively priced condos in a casual, coastal themed environment.
