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Photo by John Eaton Fezziwig Street Performers dressed Victorian style will welcome guests, present skits and sing and dance on Main Street this Saturday, Dec. 4 during Wellsboro’s Dickens of a Christmas. Annie Gehman (foreground) and other Fezziwigs sell soaps and sing and dance at Dickens in 2019. |
WELLSBORO—The 37th Annual Dickens of a Christmas celebration is this Friday through Sunday, Dec. 3, 4 and 5 in downtown Wellsboro.
"Wellsboro's Dickens of a Christmas is a family, fun event," said Julie Henry, Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce executive director. "Having a good time is what our festival is all about. It's refreshing to see people enjoying themselves and coming together as Dickens’ characters and willingly sharing their talents as singers and musicians in keeping with the holiday spirit."
On Saturday only, Wellsboro’s downtown streets will be closed to motorized vehicles and transformed into an early Victorian marketplace with more than 120 outdoor vendors offering delectable fare to eat and delightful wares to keep or for holiday gift giving.
At 9 a.m., the town crier will greet everyone with the ringing of his bell and announcements of the day. The Dickens Fezziwig Street Performers in Victorian garb will take center stage at the Main and Crafton Street intersection to welcome the crowd and perform skits, sing and dance. Visitors are always invited to join in.
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Photo by John Eaton Pictured are two of the visitors who took part in the Candlelight Walk for Peace in 2019. The walk will begin at 5 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 4. |
Lining the streets will be artists and craftsmen with hand carved Christmas trees, wrought iron and hand-turned wooden pieces, homemade jams, jellies and cheeses, hand-painted Christmas ornaments, pottery, furniture, jewelry, soaps and shampoos, specialty candles, hats, scarves, capes, pet treats, dolls, snowmen and so much more. Also available will be fresh Christmas wreaths and greens.
Outdoor food vendors will tickle the taste buds and warm tummies with hot chocolate, mac and cheese, sticky buns, chili, homemade soups, hot roast beef, barbecued pork, sausage, meatball and crab cake sandwiches, lobster rolls, bread pudding, apple dumplings, fresh roasted peanuts, peanut brittle, candy apples, soft pretzels, ribbon candy, caramel popcorn and other treats.
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Photo by John Eaton Elaine Benjamin, winner of the Dickens of a Christmas Best Dressed Showcase in 2019, participates in the Victorian Stroll on Main Street. |
The United Methodist Church Indoor Craft Show will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday only will be the Indoor/Outdoor Dickens Craft Show at the Wellsboro Fireman’s Annex at 21 East Avenue.
Registration for the Dickens Best Dressed Showcase will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Deane Center at 104 Main Street. The top 10 finalists will be chosen with judging to select the gold and silver winners beginning promptly at 1 p.m. on the Deane Center’s outdoor stage.
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Photo by John Eaton Phil Waber (shown) is the town crier for Wellsboro’s Dickens of A Christmas. He will be ringing his bell and shouting out the public announcements of the day this Saturday, Dec. 4. |
Everyone (in costume or not) is welcome to participate in the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Victorian Strolls on Saturday. The strolls start at the Deane Center’s outdoor stage and continue on Main Street by the grassy boulevards decorated with fresh Christmas trees covered with lights and ornaments and the gaslights with evergreen wreaths and bows.
In the Deane Center lobby on Saturday only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. will be famed New York City hat designer Christine A. Moore with her “Dickens of A Christmas” hat collection; Shutter Homestead with wines available to sample and purchase by the bottle; Staggering Unicorn Winery with sweet fruit, berry and specialty wines for purchase; Innerstoic Wine & Cider Company with wines and ciders; and the Wellsboro Rotary Club with gun raffle tickets. The Deane Center will have hot chocolate, fresh popcorn and bottled water for purchase.
On display in the front windows at the Deane Center is the Department 56 Dickens Village donated to the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce in August of 2018. The buildings and accessories light up at night.
Hamilton-Gibson Productions will present A Dickens of a Concert Friday night and six performances of “A Christmas Carol” at the Deane Center’s two theaters on Saturday and one performance on Sunday.
On Friday and Saturday, the Arcadia Theatre at 50 Main Street in Wellsboro is showing the film “The Man Who Invented Christmas” about Charles Dickens and his creation of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and other classic characters in his novella “A Christmas Carol".
There will also be a special showing of "Nessmuk: In Defense of Nature in the Pennsylvania Wilds" at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Arcadia Theatre. This fascinating film shines a light on the national importance of this man who lived most of his life in Wellsboro and is buried in the Wellsboro Cemetery on Nichols Street.
At 5 p.m. Saturday, the Candlelight Walk for Peace will begin at Packer Park on Queen Street and end on The Green where the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with Santa and a carol sing will start at 5:30 p.m.
Visitors can pick up a copy of the full color six-panel Dickens of a Christmas brochure on the chamber’s front porch at 114 Main Street. The free brochure includes a list of the outdoor artists, craftsmen and food vendors and the street block where they can be found, the schedule of events and a map showing the locations.
For more information, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 570-724-1926, emailing info@wellsboropa.com, visiting www.wellsboropa.com or stopping in at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro.
Dickens of a Christmas 2021 Schedule of Events Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Friday, December 3
All Day
Area Merchants Sales & Discounts
All Day
Department 56 Dickens Village Display
Deane Center Windows
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Indoor Book Sale
Green Free Library
3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Indoor Craft Show
United Methodist Church
7:15 p.m.
Movie: “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
Arcadia Theater
7:30 p.m.
Dickens of a Concert
St. Peter’s Catholic Church
Saturday, December 4
All Day
Area Merchants Sales & Discounts
All Day
Department 56 Dickens Village Display
Deane Center Windows
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Indoor Craft Show
United Methodist Church
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Best Dressed Contest Registration
Deane Center Lobby
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Model Train Show, Cookie Sale
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Street Vendors, Musicians & Performers
Outdoors on Downtown Streets
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Indoor/Outdoor Craft Show, Food
Wellsboro Fireman’s Annex
9:30 a.m.
Wellsboro High School Dickens Choir
Arcadia Theater
10:00 a.m.
Victorian Stroll
Meet at Deane Center Outdoor Stage
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Open House & Refreshments
Tussey-Mosher Funeral Home
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Lunch, Church Tours, Thrift Shop
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Indoor Book Sale
Green Free Library
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Victorian Christmas Open House, Tours & Refreshments
Goodhart’s Inn
49 Central Avenue
10:30 a.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Deane Center Coolidge Theatre
10:30 a.m.
Movie: “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
Arcadia Theater
11:00 a.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Warehouse Theatre
11:00 a.m.
“Nessmuk” – A Film by Gale Largey
Arcadia Theater
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Open House & Refreshments
Green Free Library
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Impressions of Egypt Art Exhibit
Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center
12:30 p.m.
Movie: “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
Arcadia Theater
1:00 p.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Warehouse Theatre
1:00 p.m.
Dickens Best Dressed Contest Judging
Deane Center Outdoor Stage
1:30 p.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Deane Center Coolidge Theatre
2:00 p.m.
Victorian Stroll
Meet at Deane Center Outdoor Stage
2:00 p.m.
Library Friends Basket Raffle Drawing
Green Free Library
2:30 p.m.
Movie: “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
Arcadia Theater
3:00 p.m.
Wellsboro Men’s Chorus
Arcadia Theater
3:20 p.m.
Wellsboro Women’s Chorus
Arcadia Theater
3:30 p.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Deane Center Coolidge Theatre
3:40 p.m.
Combined Chorus Sing-along
Arcadia Theater
4:00 p.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Warehouse Theatre
4:00 p.m.
Choral Evensong Service
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
5:00 p.m.
Candlelight Walk for Peace
Packer Park to The Green
5:30 p.m.
Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Green
Sunday, December 5
All Day
Department 56 Dickens Village Display
Deane Center Windows
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Victorian Christmas Open House, Tours & Refreshments
Goodhart’s Inn
49 Central Avenue
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Indoor Book Sale
Green Free Library
2:30 p.m.
HG Productions
“A Christmas Carol”
Warehouse Theatre
For a finalized schedule & map of events, ATMs, parking and restroom facilities, visit www.wellsboropa.com or local restaurants, motels and shops or call 570-724-1926.
ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR DICKENS 2021
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Photo by John Eaton This young man watches as the model trains move along the track at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall on Walnut Street in Wellsboro. The trains will be rolling again this Saturday, Dec. 4. |
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wellsboro is offering six different activities for visitors to Dickens of a Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 4.
During the day, the church's thrift shop will be open and there will be a free Model Train Show, the Great Cookie Sale, lunch, tours of the church and the special Choral Evensong service sung by the church choir.
Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, the free Model N Gauge Train Show, hosted by members of the Twin Tiers N-Trak Club, will be in St. Paul’s Parish Hall. S gauge trains will also be running. The entrance to the Parish Hall is on Walnut Street, across from UPMC Wellsboro: Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital.
St. Paul’s Great Cookie Sale will begin at 9 a.m. in the Parish Hall and continue until 4 p.m. or until the cookies are gone. All types of cookies from chocolate chip to date pinwheels to sugar cookies will be sold by the pound. There will also be other treats, including Father Thyme fruit cakes.
The Thrift Shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is a great place to find a needed umbrella, sweater or hat. The entrance is on Charles Street.
Lunch will be available in St. Paul’s Parish Hall beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until everything is gone. For $3, eat a hot dog with sauerkraut or meat sauce with chips and a pickle or for $2, eat a plain hot dog. Have a bowl of homemade chili, chicken noodle or vegetable beef soup for $2 or buy a quart to take home for $5. A beverage - soda, lemonade, bottled water, hot chocolate, coffee or tea - is $1.
Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., free tours of historic St. Paul’s will be given. Louis Comfort Tiffany designed the church's stained glass windows and the mosaics that are found around the altar and baptismal font.
At 4 p.m., the public is invited to attend the 40-minute Choral Evensong service in the church. Historically accurate, this service is conducted as it was by the Church of England in the Victorian-era at the time Charles Dickens lived. Included are hymns, readings and Anglican chants and anthems sung by the choir. The Church entrance is on Pearl Street, directly across from The Green.
For information, call St. Paul's at 570-724-4771.
THREE OPEN HOUSES WITH REFRESHMENTS ARE THIS SATURDAY, DEC. 4 DICKENS
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| Laura Goodhart is shown with one of the six live decorated Christmas trees that will be on display this weekend during the Victorian Christmas Open House at 49 Central Avenue. |
This Saturday, Dec. 4 during Dickens of a Christmas, visitors are welcome to stop in to get warm and enjoy light refreshments at open houses at two different Main Street locations. Both are free and open to the public.
An open house and tour are being held at Goodharts Inn at 49 Central Avenue. There is an admission fee.
The three historic homes, once owned by local families, have retained their original style and charm even though they have been repurposed.
Green Free Library
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Friends of the Green Free Library are hosting an open house and serving cookies at the library at 134 Main Street.
The Friends are also holding a basket raffle with the drawing for four winners’ names to take place at 2 p.m. Ticket holders need not be present to win.
Mary B. Robinson bequeathed the home as a site for a town library. The home was built by her father Chester Robinson and known as Chester Place. Following an extensive renovation, the Green Free Library officially opened there on Jan. 26, 1917.
The Dec. 4 open house will be in the dining room, which Mary added in the 1890s. It retains the original woodwork, built-in bookcases, window seats, fireplace and stained glass window.
The Green Free Library is also holding its annual Indoor Book Sale of gently used books of all types now through Dec. 12. Available are gift-worthy books for Christmas by a variety of authors along with some audio books and DVDs and older specially priced books. Book sale hours are: Wednesday, Dec. 1 and Thursday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 4 and Sunday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 6 through Thursday, Dec. 9, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 10 through Sunday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The library is open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call the library at 570-724-4876.
Tussey-Mosher Funeral Home
The Tussey-Mosher Funeral Home at 139 Main Street is located in a private home built by Chester Converse in 1879. It became a funeral home 130 years ago in 1891. During the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. open house on Dec. 4, refreshments available will include cookies, tea and coffee. Information about the funeral home’s history will also be available.
Goodhart’s Inn on Central Dec. 4 & 5
Jeff and Laura Goodhart, owners of Goodhart's Inn on Central, are inviting the public to a Victorian Christmas Open House at their bed and breakfast at 49 Central Avenue in Wellsboro. For the open house, the Goodharts, dressed Victorian style, will welcome guests from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 4 and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 5.
During the open house, Christmas music will be playing on a Victrola and Shiny Brite ornaments will be on display. Visitors who tour the inn will see how the couple has not only retained the home's original Victorian character but enhanced it with antique furniture and other period décor that return it to the look of the 1800s, when it was originally built. Featured will be decorated live evergreen trees, each with a specific theme. Guests will be treated to hot chocolate and light snacks.
DICKENS PARKING AND FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE ARE THIS SATURDAY, DEC. 4 FOR DICKENS 2021
For Wellsboro’s Dickens of a Christmas celebration, streets will be closed to traffic and parking this Saturday, Dec. 4. Free parking will be available at other locations as well as parking for a fee. Also offered is a free shuttle service into and out of Wellsboro. There is also a designated emergency route for ambulances.
Streets closed
Starting at 8 a.m. and continuing through 4 p.m. this Saturday, the following streets will be closed: Main Street from the East Avenue traffic light to the Central Avenue traffic light and Crafton and Waln streets from Pearl Street to Water Street.
Overnight Parking
By 6 a.m. Saturday morning, all vehicles must be removed from Main, Crafton and Waln streets. Those planning to park overnight in one of the areas that will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, should make other parking arrangements. Those who don't, risk having their vehicles towed at their expense.
Free parking
Wellsboro Borough is allowing free parking at all metered spots within the community this Saturday. Those parking at meters at Wellsboro’s municipal parking lots on Water Street and Pearl Street will not be ticketed during the celebration; however, the Wellsboro Police Department will strictly enforce all other parking restrictions.
Free parking will also be available at the following locations: the Tioga County Commissioners parking lot at the Tioga County Courthouse, Main Street, Wellsboro; at the Wellsboro Borough municipal parking lots on Water and Pearl streets as well as at the parking lot behind the Wellsboro Active Living Center next to Packer Park on Queen Street.
Parking for a fee
Parking for a small fee to benefit local, nonprofit groups will be available at locations throughout the community.
Free Shuttle Services
There will be free shuttle services to downtown Dickens festivities. Buses will operate continuously between 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to shuttle visitors to downtown Wellsboro from the Wellsboro Plaza on Route 6 (East Avenue) and from the Wellsboro High School on Nichols Street. During those times, shuttles will also transport visitors back to the Wellsboro Plaza and to Wellsboro High School.
Emergency Route
Walnut Street has been designated an “Emergency Route” for ambulances traveling to Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department on Dickens weekend. No parking will be permitted along the Emergency Route.
FMI
For more information, call the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce at 570-724-1926.
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