FAYETTEVILLE, NC – November 7, 2019 – Now in its 20th year, Dickens Holiday fills Historic Downtown Fayetteville with more than 10,000 shoppers and revelers. Created by the Arts Council of Fayetteville – Cumberland County in 1999, Dickens Holiday offers an experience not found elsewhere in the region. Downtown merchants, as well as artisans and crafters at booths in the street, offer unique gifts to kick off your holiday shopping. The sights, sounds and flavors of the season fill the streets with holiday spirit.
Dickens Holiday is an annual community event held on the day after Thanksgiving – Black Friday. The Historic Fayetteville Downtown is transformed into a Victorian-era family experience. This event has sparked vitality downtown by attracting shoppers to local merchants instead of flocking to the mall and has become a boon for local business and community alike. Horse-drawn carriages roll down the main street carrying shoppers the old-fashioned way, past merchants’ windows adorned with beautiful Victorian holiday decorations, past artisans and vendors of all sorts of delightful treats. Handmade items offered by Victorian-style vendors include dolls, toys, quilts, candles, jewelry, stained-glass ornaments and hand-knitted hats and gloves. Aromas of cider and gingerbread permeate the chilly air, and there is Ebenezer Scrooge himself, pursued by the ghost of Jacob Marley.
As darkness approaches and the clock reaches 5:30 p.m., townspeople gather in front of the Arts Council building for a candlelight procession to the Market House two blocks away, followed by fireworks. More than 6,000 people annually participate in the candlelight procession – bringing together a community in a peaceful and harmonious congregation of fellowship.
Strolling Victorian performers provide holiday entertainment throughout Downtown. Inside the Arts Council building you’ll find Annie’s Alehouse, an establishment modeled on the old Victorian pubs. Indulge in local cider, along with some pub-styled music in the gallery. Gingerbread Community of Hope provides families an opportunity to create their own gingerbread house.
Everyone takes time to preserve a lifetime memory with a picture of loved ones with Father Christmas and an authentic Victorian sleigh at the Arts Council building. Queen Victoria carriage rides allow one to celebrate the sights and sounds of this Dickensian downtown on a beautifully decorated horse drawn carriage.
Victorian Life History is displayed on the second floor of the Market House. Literature, military items, a Victorian Christmas tree and other artifacts show how the Victorians celebrated the holidays. An interactive display allows visitors to identify household items from the era that are no longer in general use. Performances by the Canterbury Victorian Dance Group present English country dancing in Victorian attire. Their performance pieces include the Rufty Tufty, Hearts Ease, and the Queen’s Waltz. They also engage the crowd in learning how to do the Circle Waltz and the Halfe Hannikin.
Arts, crafts, Make-and-Take booths, music, and most importantly, community bonding make Dickens Holiday more than an economic extravaganza for Historic Downtown Fayetteville. Dickens Holiday is a community coming together to celebrate the joys of family and home at one of the most precious holidays for counting our blessings – Thanksgiving. It is an event which has helped revitalize a city’s downtown and continues to spread friendship and happiness throughout the community.
For more information on A Dickens Holiday, please visit www.theartscouncil.com/feature/dickens-holiday.
Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
301 Hay Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301
http://www.theartscouncil.com
For information about the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County, email Metoya Scott, Public Relations Manager, at MetoyaS@theartscouncil.com
ABOUT THE ARTS COUNCIL
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County was founded in 1973. As a link between artists, arts and cultural organizations and the community, the nonprofit agency administers programs in partnership with a variety of local agencies to stimulate community development through the arts. The Arts Council supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development, and lifelong learning through the arts.
The Arts Council’s grants, programs, and services are funded in part by contributions from businesses and individuals, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland.
