Travel Back in Time at the Charles Dickens Festival!

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A Beloved Holiday Tradition Returns to Port Jeff: 28th Annual Charles Dickens Festival

On December 7th & 8th, 2024, the Village of Port Jefferson will transform into a charming Dickensian wonderland for the 28th Annual Charles Dickens Festival. Presented by the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, this free event brings the holiday spirit to life with music, theater, and family-friendly activities that honor the legacy of Charles Dickens.

With strolling characters like Scrooge, chimney sweeps, and Father Christmas, Port Jefferson becomes a living stage reminiscent of the 19th century. Visitors from across the country and beyond are invited to join this festive celebration of community, literature, and the holiday season.

For Complete Run Down of Events of the Dickens Festival, click HERE!

Festival Highlights

New Additions This Year

• ElfWorks & Festival of Trees: Discover Santa’s Workshop-inspired magic on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Village Center. Children will love watching busy elves create holiday wonders.

• Mrs. Cratchit’s Craftworks: Located above Santa Claus Central at the Methodist Church, kids can craft their own holiday keepsakes.

• Dickens Central: Featuring a giant snow globe, photo ops with characters like the four ghosts of A Christmas Carol, and Mr. Dickens himself.

Santa Claus & Parades

• Santa’s Central: Meet Santa in his grand green velvet chair at the First United Methodist Church.

• Opening Parade: Kick off the festival Saturday at 11:00 AM with a dazzling march down East Main Street, featuring Dickens characters and live performers.

• Closing Puppet Parade: Sunday at 5:00 PM, don’t miss the whimsical procession of puppets and performers as the festival wraps up with a grand finale.

Entertainment for All Ages

• Street Plays & Carolers: Roaming performers will delight with impromptu scenes and harmonious holiday songs.

• Ice Skating: Enjoy skating at the Village Center for a small fee.

• Magic, Music & Theater: Marvel at magic shows, live musical performances, and theatrical productions at venues like Theatre Three, which continues its tradition of performing A Christmas Carol.

Cultural & Educational Experiences

The Port Jefferson Library, Long Island Explorium, and Historical Society will offer engaging programs, while local museums and eco-centers provide opportunities to learn and explore.

Support Local This Holiday Season

The Dickens Festival is not only a celebration of holiday cheer, but also an opportunity to support the local community. From handcrafted gifts to delicious treats, the event highlights the talents of small businesses, artisans, and performers in Port Jefferson.

By shopping, dining, and participating in activities throughout the village, visitors can help ensure the charm of this seaport community thrives during the holidays and beyond.

Plan Your Visit

The Dickens Festival runs from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM both days. Most attractions are free, with some ticketed performances and activities. Parking is available throughout the village, with a nominal fee for ice skating.

Whether you’re a longtime attendee or a first-time visitor, the Dickens Festival promises something for everyone. From the magical atmosphere to the inspiring performances, this holiday tradition is sure to warm the hearts of all who attend.

Mark your calendars, gather your loved ones, and experience the wonder of the Port Jefferson Dickens Festival this holiday season. Celebrate the past, embrace the present, and support local as you make memories to cherish for years to come.

For Holiday Pop Ups on Long Island, click HERE!

Looking for places to Meet Santa? Click HERE!

For more Seasonal Events, click HERE!

Melissa Farrell

Melissa Farrell has a mission to support local business by "Going Local." As a local business owner herself, she understands the struggles entrepreneurs face when owning a business and is always trying to find ways to shine a spotlight onto them. Melissa started Going Local Tours & Experiences back in 2020 during the pandemic in hopes to bring people back into local restaurants and shops. She created food tours in Huntington, NY that would stop at 3-4 local businesses and gave the guests the chance to meet the owner and hear the story behind the business. She soon realized how powerful storytelling is when connecting people to local businesses and created options with local store owners as well to bring them onto the tour to share their story. Melissa wanted to expand out of Huntington to be able to support even more local businesses and started creating luxury picnics where she would bring local to you! She would find local businesses in the area of the picnic set up and deliver it to you offering ways to support over 3 local businesses at each picnic. This wasn't enough. She wanted to find a better way to help spread awareness of local businesses and share their stories. Enter Evangeline Knell...a woman with over 30 years of broadcasting experience who somehow convinced Melissa to host a 3 day live stream from the Huntington Fall Festival. She had never been on camera before, but working alongside Evie to create the 3 shows, gave Melissa the confidence to take on the challenge. The 3 shows produced focused on the local vendors, the food trucks and the events that occurred at the festival and had a much larger reach than Melissa could ever of done on her own. They soon realized a business partnership was needed and combined their two businesses, Identity Digital which is a production company and Going Local Tours and Experiences to form Going Local Media. Evie and Melissa even formed their own distribution outlet by creating Going Local TV, a streaming platform like Netflix or YouTube, that is all about local businesses, events and organizations on Long Island. There are over 200 videos including their podcast series "Let's Get Local" "Long Island Business Minds" and "Local Business Spotlight" that help spread awareness of our local businesses and Long Island Professionals. They are always thinking up new ways to support local, including this site, Going Local Today that is a directory of articles on how to Go Local on Long Island. We appreciate you taking the time to read this and for supporting local! Thank you!

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