|
A Magical Island Kingdom ™ |
|||||
|
Dickens on The Strand This
event
saved historic downtown Galveston!!
 History
 By the
early 1970s,
historic
downtown Galveston
had fallen into such a
state of decay and dis-repair that it was on the verge of being totally
lost! The shadow of the
wrecking ball loomed over those grand 19th-Century
buildings! The Galveston
Historical Foundation began
looking
for a way to
save the heart and
soul of the City.
In December
1974, they decided to
try
hosting an "Old
English
Christmas and Hanukkah Party",
on The
Strand, as a one night
celebration of the historic business district, and to raise funds for
its preservation. The next year, the event became "Dickens' Evening on The Strand". In 1983, the festival was expanded to a two-day event, and by 1984 it was officially re-named "Dickens on The Strand". The festival is always held during the first full weekend in December.  From the
beginning, this festival was meant to attract attention to,
and
investment in historic
downtown
Galveston, one of the
country's most
significant collections of 19th-Century
commercial buildings. If
visitors could experience a 19th-Century
festival,
staged on The
Strand, then maybe they could
also see the potential
of the area for
everyday business. The first few years, the festival was only held at night, so that it could be lit by kerosene lanterns to give it an authentic 19th-Century look, and to hide the poor condition of the buildings. Vendors were set up inside the vacant buildings, to make it appear as though The Strand was back in business. In later years, as the area was restored, the vendors had to move out onto the streets, as fewer and fewer buildings remained empty. At that point, the festival could also begin in the day time since daylight no longer revealed a state of decay that promoters wished to hide! It worked! Dickens saved The Strand! Today, this event is still a picturesque way to imagine what downtown Galveston was like at its zenith, and to showcase what it has become after a tremendous preservation and restoration effort! The money raised during this event continues to be the Galveston Historical Foundation's primary source of funds for its on-going preservation activities! Today
 At
the beginning of the week of the festival, the Union Jack
will be
found flying
over The
Island, in honor of Her
Majesty Queen
Victoria's arrival on
the weekend. She and her husband, Prince
Albert,
will visit Galveston
to
celebrate a 19th-Century
Christmas.
The Queen
and the Prince
needed
a city with a downtown district, from the Victorian Age,
to stage this
event, and what better place than Galveston? Today's
version of "Dickens
on The Strand"
is made possible by fencing
off ten
square blocks of downtown
Galveston,
between Harborside
and Ship's
Mechanics Row, and from 20th
to 25th Street.
Entry is gained by the
purchase of a ticket, or by arriving in a Victorian-era costume.
It is
estimated that about ten percent of the 50,000-60,000 visitors
come
in period dress. Once
inside the fence, The
Strand
comes to life as a bustling 19th-Century
cityscape as thousands of
visitors, dressed in period
costume, mingle with the vendors and performers, who are also in Victorian-era
garb. The whole scene brings Charles
Dickens' London, at Christmas
time, to The Island;
complete with Scrooge,
Marley, the Ghosts
and other characters that he created. In the
afternoon, The Queen
leads a Victorian-Christmas
parade
through the streets. She rides in her horse-drawn carriage, escorted by
an eclectic group of people including: a colorful guard of London
Bobbies and Beefeaters,
costumed
characters of all types, Victorian-attired
ladies and gentleman, both
on foot, and riding horseback and in carriages, bagpipe bands, and a
drum and bugle corps or two.        To
supplement the Bobbies
and Beefeaters, The
Texas Brigade, the local contingent
of Confederate
Cavalry and Infantry,
are there to protect
the Queen,
and
all those assembled, from any Yankees
who might try to invade this
island sanctuary.When the parade is over, many participants begin to perform on the streets and sidewalks for the thousands of people who come to The Strand, to celebrate the season in the Victorian style, throughout the weekend. Some bagpipers will start playing, both traditional tunes, as well as Rock favorites like InAGoddaDavida!  Later, The
Texas Brigade, also fires
their guns for the crowd!
The sound of gun fire,
as
it
echoes off the
buildings, and the
smell of black
powder smoke, re-creates
another scene from that bygone time. When the firing
demonstration is over, the Brigade
band plays "The
Yellow Rose of
Texas"; and, of course, "Dixie"!!!
You
have to Love those guys! After sun down, many of those dressed in period costumes assemble themselves into "Pickwick's Lantern-Light Parade", where they carry gas lights, lanterns and candles to create a soft glow of light, as they move through the streets. There are holiday melodies from carolers, and bagpipe bands, and more participants in horse-drawn wagons and carriages.     The Dickens
celebration also spills over to
the pier where the 1877
Tall Ship
Elissa
is docked. This area is
transformed into the West
India
Dock,
and it tells the history of Great
Britain's domination of the
seas during the Queen's
rein.In addition to the main activities at the festival, there are special events within the event such as a Knighting Ceremony, a Costume Contest, Victorian Weddings, and Children's Activities, for those who choose to participate.  The Galveston
Historical Foundation also
stages other Dickens-related
Christmas events away from The
Strand
in its properties at the 1880
Garten Verein, the 1838 Menard House,
the 1839
Samuel May Williams House,
the 1860
St. Joseph Church, and at the 1859
Ashton Villa. For
details.Food and drink is readily available from the street vendors as well as the restaurants and bars in downtown Galveston. Other vendors offer a wide variety of art work and crafts to supplement what is for sale in the shops on The Strand. A
Special Visitor
 For the
last few years, "The
Delta Queen", paddle
wheel boat, has come
all the way from New
Orleans
to allow her passengers to enjoy "Dickens
on The Strand", here in Galveston!
She ties up at Pier
21,
right near The
Elissa, which gives visitors,
to the event, the opportunity to see
an
authentic paddle wheel boat up close!Galveston
The Dickens celebration is not just confined to the downtown area, and should not end without a stroll through Galveston's historic residential neighborhoods. When seen after dark the decorations are spectacular!    01 and
02 December 2007
Dickens on The Strand  |
|
||||
|
|
||||