Last year, Dickens on the Strand, Galvestons Victorian-themed holiday festival, was set in 1862, the year London hosted the annual Worlds Fair (the only occasion the peoples of the globe came together back then unless there was a war) so that performers and re-enactors of every country and culture could partake. This year, its back to being all British, baby. Hey, multiculturalism is great, but so is tradition, and the Galveston Historical Foundation and their cohorts are stocking the islands ten-block historical district of Victorian homes with costumed choirs, carolers, musicians, bagpipers (were putting bag-pipers in a different classification than musicians) and vendors selling antique-looking keepsakes, era-inspired crafts and food as close to what was eaten by a typical 19th-century Briton as modern FDA regulations will allow. Itll have all the merriment and wonder Charles Dickens might have enjoyed if he hadnt been at various points in his life poor, grumpy and/or preoccupied with work. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The Strand district, Galveston Island. For tickets and a list of events, call 409-765-7834 or visit www.dickenson-the-strand.org. $4 to $9.
Sat., Dec. 1, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 2007
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2007.