Dickens On Centre More Fun

December 13-14, 2025                                  Most Recent Posts:
Fernandina Beach Florida                            Dickens on Centre
                                                                            The Week Between

If you haven’t seen my first post about Dickens on Centre (link above), this one will make more sense if you read that one first.

The last two days of Dickens on Centre were jam packed from 8:30 am to 9pm on Saturday and from 10am to 3pm on Sunday.   I was there for nearly all of it.

SATURDAY

For the runners, beginning at 8:30am was “Run Like the Dickens”.  You should be here Pete.   In my younger running days I would definitely have done this especially since it a really short fun run.  One mile along the beach with complementary hot chocolate and coffee.  Prizes were awarded though since I wasn’t there I don’t know what they were or for what they were awarded. 

Now for my biggest mistake.  They had  Parade of Paws at 9 am Saturday morning and I didn’t get there in time to see it.  Judging from what I did see it must have been great.  For sure on my list for next time.

The Christmas Wish tree was where you’d grab a wooden wish tag and write your Christmas Wish on it and hang it on the tree.   Really great and popular idea.

Of course all the wishes are hanging on the lower half of the tree.

There were white decorations, bulbs and garland already on the tree.   You could hang as many wishes as you like.

Dressed volunteers were providing programs all around town.

Throughout the week-end these young artists were doing chalk art.  I stopped by each day to see them.

This is the Old Vic Theater.  Throughout the week-end it showed  The Man Who Invented Christmas – They Charles Dickens Story which is what I am watching here.  It was only shown once on Saturday as were The Muppet Christmas Carol and Polar Express, Elf was shown on both Saturday and Sunday and The Santa Clause once each of the 3 days of the festival.

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Tiny Tim’s Kids Zone had all sorts of entertainment for kids.

Of course there were arts and crafts vendors on each street which had a special name for the occasion.  Peddler’s Village, Artist Alley, Oliver’s Alley, Cratchit’s Corner and my favorite Oliver’s Eats.  More please!

Lunch for Saturday was a tray of delicious “loaded nachos”

Love the Bobby with his night stick.

Later in the day, the street art was coming right along.

The Enchanted Snow Globe Village was going on all day and into the evening as it was on Friday and Sunday.

Unique to Saturday night from 6-9pm was Dickens After Dark, Marley’s Masquerade.  A Victorian Costume party for the holiday season.  They bill it as a “VIP soiree complete with stilt walkers, jugglers, live music, dancing and more.  Costumes required, masks optional”.  Since I didn’t do it, I don’t remember what it costs but it includes what they call Heavy hors d’oeuvres,  beer and wine bar, the entertainment and dance music and tarot card readings as well as a Dickens After Dark souvenir phot booth.  These two are the only paid activities which go to make the rest of the week-end free.   I am amazed that Jason Woods  A Christmas Carol was free on Friday.

SUNDAY

On Sunday I walked back to the festivities and wandered around just checking to see what I might have missed.  People were still dressed in periodesque clothing.

Another British Bobby though this one needs a night stick in his hand.

The street artists were hard a work again.

I was just amazed at what they did with chalk.  After all this work I’m glad I won’t be downtown after it rains or when the cars move back onto the Centre Street Parking.   Their drawings were fantastic.

I’d particularly wanted to see the play Alice in A Christmas Wonderland at 1:o0.
There were three half hour plays performed multiple times on the Main Stage throughout both Saturday and  Sunday..  I saw two of the three.

I missed The Little Toy Shoppe and am sorry I did.  But I did catch The Legend of St Nick which was right before Alice.

I’m not sure exactly what the story was but this seems to be a short play written just for this occasion since my trying to google the plot for this blog netted me zero.

Here’s what I remember.  Jack Frost is up to no good.   He’s in the service of some kind of ice Queen.  But at the moment she is none too happy with him.

There is a very nice woodcutter named Nicholas whom Jack freezes with his icy fingers……great icy looking stuff cleverly provided at several points by down stage gun.

Not sure who this fairy looking person was but her costume was great.

Somehow the ice queen takes control back and Nicholas who has been going around helping a little girl find her teddy bear becomes St Nicholas.
Obviously I should have watched it more than once since a month later I don’t remember the plot.

15 minutes after The Legend of St Nick, Alice in Christmas Wonderland began so I just kept my seat.   No problem following this story.

This is at the end of course but it shows where we were sitting to watch.
From left to right, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar,  the Queen of Hearts,  Alice and the White Rabbit.   The costumes here were also wonderful.  You can see the Cheshire Cat’s head above and to the left of Alice.

The White Rabbit is asking big Alice for help to avoid another wicked queen.

The wonderful Queen of Hearts.

Big Alice and The Mad Hatter

After she’s had the “drink me” potion,  Little Alice encounters the Caterpillar.

Eventually the Rabbit and the Queen get together.  Can’t remember why the queen was yelling off with his head.

Each of these productions was only 1/2 hour long and was fantastic!   Fabulous costumes in both cases.

Dickens On Centre is a stand out week-end amazing in the set up, the number of things to do and the quality of everything.  Go out of your way, as I did, to see it is my advice.