As we were enjoying the Fernandina Christmas parade, we heard about another event here called Dickens on Centre (Main Street here is named Centre Street) It sounded like fun so we stayed an additional week and were very glad we did. Enough so that we’re hoping to put it on our calendar to return next year!
The opening show was a dramatic reenactment/reading of the entire book A Christmas Carol, all 26 voices performed by one actor. Took 90 minutes and every minute was spellbinding. An incredible performance!
Bigger than life version of the title page of A Christmas Carol
Marley is dead, but he walked the streets of the festival each night!
Lots of period outfits. She told us the skirt was very difficult to move around in.
More Dickensian characters
The Festival stage where the various groups performed. Lots of choirs, actors and such. This was also a unique seat to enjoy a small orchestra.They set up an outdoor theater, mostly for kid-oriented movies like Polar Express. But they also snuck in a 2017 movie called The Man Who Invented Christmas, about the inspiration and writing of A Christmas Carol. Excellent movie about the book, especially if you are at all curious about the authoring process.
Victorian ladies on stilts!
A gentlemanly doff of the cap as he slowly pedals through the crowd
More characters. folks told us they break out their outfits just for this one festival.
The Chimney Sweep
A series of paintings from the book. Each was probably 8 feet tall and very intricate!
We watched this mural progress through the course of the festival. Each day, the artist added a bit more, filling in additional detail to the scene.
And each night there was a great fireworks display. Friday night, it was timed to start at the exact moment of the end of the dramatic acting out of A Christmas Carol.
The one worrisome bit about the fireworks is that they were launched each night from a barge anchored about 100 yds from Paperbird. We kept a bucket filled with water on deck just in case a stray ember headed our way. Fortunately, the winds blew debris away from us each night.
A beautiful Christmas tree to remind us of the real reason for the celebration: the birth of Jesus!
