From Saturday, Nov. 22, to Sunday, Dec. 21, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair is bringing its immersive experience to the Cow Palace Arena and Event Center in Daly City. Brought to life by Red Barns Productions, the fair will be open for five consecutive weekends plus the Friday after Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fair aims to transport visitors into the streets of 19th-century London.
The Dickens Fair has local roots, beginning in 1970s San Francisco. Ron and Phyllis Patterson, the masterminds behind the show, had already helped pioneer early Renaissance fairs, and their fascination with Charles Dickens and Victorian-era London drove them to develop a new spinoff.
Amin al-Jamal, a vendor, has been attending the fair for twenty years. He described how the Dickens Fair is one of the last of its type, yet the quality and magic of the show have kept it alive.
“[The combination of] a history reenactment, interactive drama [performances], and incredible artisan goods is so powerful that it’s been fueling events like this for [many years],” al-Jamal said.
The event showcases music, theater performances, shops selling artisanal items and food, and utilizes the Cow Palace Arena to create open, street-like settings with storefronts lining the walls. Additionally, the fair offers experiences such as hair braiding, portraiture, and riding a carousel or entering a time machine.
Vicky Troyan, a vendor at the Blue Moon Designs clothing shop, has been working at the fair for 15 years. She finds the magic of the fair comes from the welcoming community.
“For me, [the fair is] about friendship… [Having] this theatrical and fantasy environment allows you to express yourself in ways that we can’t normally express ourselves in society. It’s really freeing and just a really loving and supportive environment,” Troyan said.
The Dickens Fair greets attendees with a warm Victorian-era energy. Performers in costumes move around crowds and perform on stage, bringing the classic Charles Dickens world to life.
Senior Hanna Janson is a performer in the Dickens Fair this year as the character “Bet” in the play Oliver Twist. This was her first year performing, and she found the experience to be welcoming.
“The people you meet and the experiences are the best part of the Dickens Fair, and since I want to go into acting professionally, the people and the culture feel especially unique and inspiring. When I went [in years past], it was super fun and immersive, and I immediately wanted to be in it or go again, so it felt like a great opportunity,” Hanna said.
