The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind 360-degree, immersive entertainment experience. Discover the Heart of the Holidays

Wonder and Delight!
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The streets, shops, pubs, and stages of Victorian London at twilight on Christmas Eve are brought to life each holiday season. Enter the world of Charles Dickens' Victorian London on a magical Christmas Eve, and discover the heart of the holidays! Resounding laughter, mirth, and merriment abound. You are invited to join the dance, mingle with hundreds of joyous performers, and revel in hearty food

and drink! Immerse yourself in Dickens’ heartfelt stories as they unfold around you. Explore over four acres of vintage exhibition halls, marvelously transformed into lamplit streets, boisterous pubs and wondrous theatres, music halls, dance parties, tearooms, and shops offering one-of-a-kind treasures. The bustling streets of London, immortalized for all time by the mighty pen of Charles Dickens, form the living backdrop of your excursion into Christmas Past. You are a living part of a Victorian Christmas card come to life! Come wander the lanes of Victorian London, as the glow of twilight settles upon the city, with the scent of pine boughs & freshly baked scones floating in the air and the sound of carolers and holiday merrymakers accompanying your stroll.

*Over four acres to explore!
*Enjoy rollicking entertainments on seven stages and in the streets with hundreds of performers!
*Visit shops bedecked with Christmastime finery and filled with unique treasures.
*Stop in for a hot toddy or a pint at Mad Sal's Dockside Ale House, where the low-life hangs out and the high-born drop in.
*Raise a champagne toast to the holidays at Fezziwig's Warehouse, the most cheerful spot in London.
*Feast on fine foods from Britain and beyond.
*Rest a spell in Cuthbert's Tea House, for a sip of hot tea and cucumber sandwiches or scones. Experience the joys of Christmas past at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair! Do join us, won't you?

This makes us excited for another show we adore: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair (oh, and that other excellent ensemble...
11/02/2024

This makes us excited for another show we adore: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair (oh, and that other excellent ensemble production: Democracy!)

30 years after directing the original Newsies, Kenny Ortega is back, and this time, he’s delivering a powerful message about the importance of voting. Featur...

❄️ Only 25 days left until The Great Dickens Christmas Fair opens its magical doors! Join us on the streets and- perhaps...
10/31/2024

❄️ Only 25 days left until The Great Dickens Christmas Fair opens its magical doors! Join us on the streets and- perhaps?- on the stages of Charles Dickens' Victorian London.

🎟️ Grab your tickets today before they're gone! 👉 www.dickensfair.com

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Tell us in the comments below and let the festivities begin! 🎁✨

"What greater gift than the love of a cat?" - Charles DickensHappy National Cat Day from our purrfectly poised Puss N' B...
10/29/2024

"What greater gift than the love of a cat?" - Charles Dickens

Happy National Cat Day from our purrfectly poised Puss N' Boots!

Which Dickens character would your cat embody? Scrooge (grumpy), Lady Dedlock (haughty, bored but kind), or the Artful Dodger (a mischief-maker)? Share in the comments!

"One knows what one has lost, but not what one may find." - George SandOnly 4 days remain to save $10 on first and secon...
10/12/2024

"One knows what one has lost, but not what one may find." - George Sand

Only 4 days remain to save $10 on first and second weekend!

Join us at Ceili On The Lake Irish Dance & Music Festival today from 11 AM to 7 PM! Tickets are still available at the g...
04/28/2024

Join us at Ceili On The Lake Irish Dance & Music Festival today from 11 AM to 7 PM! Tickets are still available at the gate, there's free parking, and plenty of music, dance, food, and family fun to be had. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and many new ones as we celebrate spring and our return to Marin. See you there!
Photos courtesy of Sean Reiter and Irish Cultural Center

Dear Dickens Fair Patrons and Participants, join us this weekend, April 27th and 28th, at Lagoon Park, in San Rafael, fo...
04/25/2024

Dear Dickens Fair Patrons and Participants, join us this weekend, April 27th and 28th, at Lagoon Park, in San Rafael, for our first-ever Irish Dance and Music Festival! Immerse yourself in the rich traditions of Ireland with lively music and dance, sheepdog demonstrations, storytelling and poetry readings, artisan crafts, delicious foods, and musical jam sessions and Irish set dancing where YOU are invited to join in. Tickets are available online or at the Gate from 11AM to 7PM on Saturday and Sunday. Visit our Ceili On The Lake Irish Dance & Music Festival page (and please like, follow, and share if you are so inclined.) We hope to see you there for this delightful weekend of culture, community, and craic!

Only one week left until our first ever Irish Dance and Music Festival! 🎻🍀 Grab your friends and family and mark your ca...
04/21/2024

Only one week left until our first ever Irish Dance and Music Festival! 🎻🍀 Grab your friends and family and mark your calendars for April 27 & 28! 📅 Don't miss out on nonstop live music, bold dancing, adorable sheepdogs and their woolly friends, lawn games, captivating storytelling, creative crafts, and an outdoor Irish pub experience! 🍻 Get ready for an unforgettable weekend! See you there!

We invite you to join us for a new event premiering this April in Marin County: a two-day Ceili (pronounced KAY-lee) whi...
03/16/2024

We invite you to join us for a new event premiering this April in Marin County: a two-day Ceili (pronounced KAY-lee) which is Irish Gaelic for a party of neighbors and friends with music, dancing, food, and drink!

Ceili On the Lake will have something for everyone. Popular Bay Area musicians from the traditional and modern Irish music scenes will be performing, while festivalgoers have the chance to play in the Musicians’ Snug in seisiún format, an open session in which anyone who can play Irish music is welcome.

Local Irish dance studios will present a variety of traditional and modern dances performed in Irish hard or soft shoes. Newcomers and novices are also welcome to celebrate the springtime season with Irish dance, as instructors lead two open sessions of Ceili dancing each day.

Along with traditional Irish music and dance, sheepdogs will put their wooly friends through their paces in daily sheep-herding demonstrations presented by the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association. Festivalgoers of all ages will also discover Celtic history, culture, and lore coming to life through readings of Irish poetry and storytelling.

Local crafters, artists, and booths representing Irish cultural organizations will also be on hand. Traditional favorites from the British Isles along with contemporary new flavors will be served from a circle of food trucks, while an Irish pub will pour draft Guinness, Harp, and other libations to wet festivalgoers’ whistles and have them ready to dance a jig!

For tickets and information visit ceilionthelake.com

Sorry, Guvnor! We are sold out for today, our final day, Sunday, December 17. Thank you for your patronage and do join u...
12/17/2023

Sorry, Guvnor! We are sold out for today, our final day, Sunday, December 17. Thank you for your patronage and do join us next year in 2024!

"Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes." - Charles Dickens, Nichol...
12/17/2023

"Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes." - Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

We are unexpectedly delighted to have so many of you join us for the first time! Happiest of Holidays to friends new and old!

Today, Saturday, December 9th, select shows will be signed for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Please look for the signing...
11/25/2023

Today, Saturday, December 9th, select shows will be signed for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Please look for the signing hands symbol on the show boards posted outside each of our individual stages or print your own copy from our website at https://dickensfair.com/asl-interpretation-stage-schedule/

Avoid the frenetic shopping malls and blue light eye strain of online shopping this weeeked. Join us today on the street...
11/24/2023

Avoid the frenetic shopping malls and blue light eye strain of online shopping this weeeked. Join us today on the streets of Victorian London where you will discover several new artisans. Live Clay is located in the tall redwoods, where Iver & Jennifer hand-sculpt each piece with its own individual character. All the work is high-fired with glazes that are safe for use and strengthen the sculptures to withstand the elements.

Those of you in San Diego and Los Angeles can tune in to NBC right now to see our very own Sherlock Holmes and Californi...
11/16/2023

Those of you in San Diego and Los Angeles can tune in to NBC right now to see our very own Sherlock Holmes and California Live host JoBeth (secretly disguised as Watson) live from the Cow Palace! What mystery have they solved now?

All Hallows’ Eve isn’t the only time of year for colorful costumes, delicious treats, and ghosts wandering the streets! ...
10/31/2023

All Hallows’ Eve isn’t the only time of year for colorful costumes, delicious treats, and ghosts wandering the streets! Cow Palace photo courtesy of Rich Yee

Address

The Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue
Daly City, CA
94014

Opening Hours

Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

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Our Early Bird Discount Ticket Sale has just begun! $10 off each Adult ticket to our first two weekends. Hurry - offer ends October 15! #dickensfair #holidayseason #earlybird

Calling all sleuths, puzzle solvers, and mystery buffs!
Calling all sleuths, puzzle solvers, and mystery buffs!

Calling all sleuths, puzzle solvers, and mystery buffs! Included with the price of admission, along with dozens of annual entertainments and impromptu interactions, is a panoply of delightful NEW shows and engaging characters; amongst them is The Sherlock Holmes Experience! Once inside the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, make your way to 221B Baker Street, near Grenadiers Gate, to meet the eccentric detective Holmes or his loyal companion Dr. Watson to learn of their latest mystery. Follow and find the clues through the streets of London to solve perplexing puzzles and unravel malevolent misdeeds in a world of international intrigue. It's up to you to try and stop the nefarious villains before they strike and change the course of history!

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Our Story

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair was originally produced by Ron and Phyllis Patterson in 1970, inspired by their successful Renaissance Pleasure Faire, which they brought to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Summer of Love in 1967. The next generation, Kevin and Leslie Patterson, now joined by their grown sons Andrew and Michael, have produced the Fair since 2000, continuing a 50-year family tradition of deeply immersive, historically authentic environmental theater.

“What a wonder it has been to create the Great Dickens Christmas Fair for 35 seasons,” says Executive Director Kevin Patterson. “We ring in the holiday spirit with a talented community of more than 800 performers bringing to life the imagination and times of Charles Dickens. The delight and surprise of our guests adds to the scene – where merriment is how we measure our success.”

Do join us, won’t you?

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