2023 Nice Dickens Christmas Honest Returns To Daly Metropolis

March 4, 2024

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2023 Nice Dickens Christmas Honest Returns To Daly Metropolis

A couple in Victorian costume poses next to an antique stall selling Celtic bottles at the Dickens Fair.
Photo by Rich Yee, courtesy of Dickens Fair

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Victorian Holiday Party have reached their final weekends at the Cow Palace in Daly City. This popular annual event takes you to Victorian London, brought to life by hundreds of costumed players and a variety of players Shops, stages, pubs, parties and unforgettable performances. You can still buy tickets for the weekend fair until December 17, 2023.

This annual event began in the 1970s and celebrates the world of writing Charles Dickens, author of “A Christmas Carol,” “Oliver Twist,” “Great Expectations,” and other literary classics. The trade fair functions Experiences and characters iinspired by and directly from Dickens' novels, including The Santa Clause; Crazy Sal; Mr. Dickens himself; and his ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.

A performer dressed as a chimney sweep appears on stage at the Dickens Fair with a small child as a guest. Photo by Zoart Photography, courtesy of Dickens Fair

This year brings some new drinking experiences including this Jekyll and Hyde Pub Crawl Mystery, where guests can sample five different bespoke “elixirs” at different drinking establishments; And Port wine and chocolate tasting 4 times daily at the Green Man Inn.

Guests can enjoy a spectrum of Performances on 7 stages including Irish singers, English mimes, Bedouin belly dancers and juggling. This is also a good time to do something Holiday shopping as there will be over 100 shops and vendors selling fine handicrafts. Finally, this Sherlock Holmes experience is back by popular demand for those looking to try out a delightful new puzzle.

costumes play a big role in the overall experience, but don't feel bad if you're not looking for a vest or hood. Victorian costumes are not required but are welcome. Before your visit, be sure to read the costume guide and guidelines, which contain many do's and don'ts regarding your clothing.

At the Dickens Fair, children make holiday-themed crafts. Photo by Rich Yee, courtesy of Dickens Fair

The Great Dickens Christmas Market invites you to indulge in the fantasy of the experience, enjoy a fencing lesson, drink some absinthe or Turkish coffee and enjoy the ride.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Victorian Holiday Party take place on the weekends Nov. 18 – Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fair takes place in Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, CA.

Full day general admission for adults is $45, youth (13 and under) is $25. You can also count on discounted Twilight tickets after 3 p.m.

Written by Grant MacHamer and Jamie Ferrell