Dickens Fair at Home
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In lieu of gathering in person this year, we invite you to enjoy the simple pleasures of "Dickens Fair at Home," launching on November 21 as our holiday gift to you!
Each weekend, and on Christmas Eve, we will release new content here - see dates below.
Invoke the spirits of Christmas Past and Christmas Present with "A Christmas Carol" read by Mr. Dickens himself.
Gather to sing in the parlour, or dance in the kitchen! Find favorite Fair music, videos, and the one and only Coventry Carolers in spirited song!
Discover delicious recipes from merry old England and serve up holiday favorites with Dickensian flair!
Entice your creative spirit (and young hearts) to make playful holiday gifts with instruction from Fair artists.
And we invite you to…
Shop online for lovingly crafted gifts to delight both family and friends...and to help our artist community by purchasing from a crafts community that is struggling through the cancellation of a year's worth of events.
The first content will be published on Saturday, November 21. Peruse the schedule below to plan for your fun!
A warm holiday welcome from our namesake, the illustrious author Mr. Charles Dickens.
“A Christmas Carol, in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas” with illustrations by John Leech
A beloved part of the literary canon – and for many an indispensable part of the holiday season, this tale embodies the goodwill associated with the Christmas season – and the Victorians’ favorite elements of a good Christmas story: ghosts!
The Coventry Carolers sing "Carol of the Bells"
Led by maestro Bob Crabb, the Coventry Carolers invite you into the holiday season with a lovely rendition of this English classic.
Bangers & Mash Band play "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"
Dance along in triple time to this mainstay of Mr. Fezziwig's Christmas party in the warehouse.
'What to Look For in Antique Books'
A most rewarding and genteel of endeavors, absorb these tips from antiquarian Gerald Webb, Proprietor of the Fitz-Gerald Manor Shop.
A Tale of Brandied Egg Nog Preparation.
It seemed so simple...
Her Majesty Queen Victoria's annual Christmas Message to Her Royal Subjects
"A Christmas Carol," Part One - a Reading by Charles Dickens
Over the course of our five weekends and on Christmas Eve, Mr. Dickens has agreed to read his tale in its entirety! As was the custom of the day, his oration will be serialized. Gather 'round on this, our first weekend installment of Dickens Fair at Home.
"Carol of the Bells" Sheet Music download
Join in the merriment and sing along with the Coventry Carolers from the comfort of your own parlour!
Cinnamon Almonds Recipe
Recreate this Dickens Fair favorite - crunchy, sweet, and fragrant Cinnamon Almonds.
Artist Jordan Monsell Demonstrates how to Cut a Silhouette Portrait
Have paper and scissors? Study a master of this charming Victorian art form, then try your own hand at capturing a loved one’s profile.
A gift of Zoom backgrounds to use and share!
Enliven your video gatherings with a virtual background from within the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.
Catherine Gaston of Nana's Nursery demonstrates “How to Make a Pomander”
Create a keepsake of sweet-smelling herbs and spices to place in a closet, drawer, or room to perfume the air.
Glenn Morgan Plays the Hammer Dulcimer
Marvelous and unusual acoustic music from the streets of the Fair.
An Authentic Victorian Cooking Demonstration
Are you familiar with a pie jigger or sugar nips? Take a glimpse into a Victorian kitchen before the advent of electricity in the home.
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair Character Coloring Book
Available on Amazon for purchase, this special book of hand drawn characters was created by Don Carson, former Senior Show Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering.
A History of Wheat Weaving
Fifth generation Welsh Wheat-Weaver and Fair artist for many years, Morgyn Ownes-Celli shares some lore about this ancient, traditional art form.
"A Christmas Carol," Part Two - a Reading by Charles Dickens
Delight in the second installment of Charles Dickens’ timeless holiday tale read by the author himself.
"Why We Do This"
Join us as we draw back the curtain and share an intimate look at creating our Londontown.
Grace Morgan of Dancing Flame Candles Demonstrates "Candle Dipping & Carving"
Learn how to make a multicolored, multilayered carved candle to light your holiday nights.
The Creature Comfits: Christmas Traditions & Recipes from Dickensian England
Also by Don Carson and available on Amazon, a charming and illuminating collection of Christmas holiday recipes and stories from England during the time of Charles Dickens.
The History of Tavistock House and the Dickens Family Parlour
Discover the London home of Mr. Charles Dickens and his family from 1851 to 1860 where he wrote Bleak House, Hard Times, Little Dorrit and A Tale of Two Cities.
Punch & Judy - Oh, Yes it Is!
Laugh, call, and respond to the antics of Mr. Punch and Judy in this traditional British-style puppet show.
Bramble Jam Tales
On long winter nights or early crisp mornings, share wee little tales for wee little friends.
Nana's Nursery - Victorian Toys
Kaleidoscopes, Thaumatropes, and Phenakistoscopes, oh my!
December 6, St. Nicholas Day: Memories of Celebrating Saint Nicholas
Long before Britain’s Father Christmas and America’s Santa, there was SinterKlaas.
"A Christmas Carol," Part Three - a Reading by Charles Dickens
Mr. Dickens continues reading his fantastical yarn of ghostly encounters, redemption and goodwill.
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
A perennial favorite, the crackled cinnamon-sugar topping makes these a perfect accompaniment to a cuppa!
Painting Garden Craft Project
Unleash your creativity and discover the pleasures of creating a special gift by hand.
The Victorian Invention of Christmas Traditions
Why do we bring trees into our parlours?
Can-Can Bijou Perform at Mad Sal's
These raised skirts raised eyebrows in Victorian London.
Music Hall at Mad Sal's
Clap, stomp and sing along with salacious Sal and her mates.
The 1973 Dickens Christmas Fair: A Sound Journey
Close your eyes and be transported to the bustling streets of the Dickens Christmas Fair, circa 1973.
Edgar Allen Poe
Mr. Poe performs his tales of the mysterious and macabre.
"A Christmas Carol," Part Four - a Reading by Charles Dickens
Mr. Dickens continues his winter tale.
How to Roast Chestnuts at Home
Surprisingly, these delectable treats need not be roasted on an open fire...
The Seadogs of Paddy West Sing Sea Shantys
Tap your toes and drop your aitches as these salty sailors sing their tantalizing tales of the High Seas!
Edgar Allen Poe Performs The Zucchini Song
Lighter (and lascivious) fare from our gloomy resident poet.
Victorian Christmas Cards
The Victorians invented them! Here is a gallery of some of the earliest and most beautiful.
Nana's Nursery - Making Christmas Crackers
Create these festive table decorations filled with trinkets, toys - and oft times, terrible jokes or puns.
A Recipe for Hard Sauce to accompany your holiday Rum Cake
A traditional topping and the crowning glory to gingerbread, plum pudding or rum cake.
Ambience/ASMR Video: Victorian Christmas Parlour at Night
Are you familiar with the autonomous sensory meridian response? Created by Ambience of Yesteryear.
"A Christmas Carol," Part Five - a Reading by Charles Dickens
Be moved to tears or to action as Mr. Dickens himself reads Part Five of his ghostly novella.
St. Cuthbert's Tea House Scone Recipe
Delightfully rich and flaky - a highly guarded secret until now!
Authentic Victorian Cooking Video - Christmas Pudding
Dark, sticky, and dense - this isn’t your mother’s fruitcake...
Nana's Nursery - Christmas Eve
A holiday surprise
The Hallejujah Chorus with the Fezziwig's Family
Join in good company and sing along!
"A Christmas Carol" - Complete Reading by Charles Dickens
Grab a hot cuppa and settle in as Charles Dickens reads his timeless holiday story to you in its entirety!
Father Christmas Reads Children's Wishes and "The Night Before Christmas"
Sitting at home by a crackling fire, the old elf reads the classic poem, and a few choice letters...
