Christmas will always be my favorite time of the year. There is something so captivating about watching the Christmas tree lights, my Black Santa figurines and the gas fireplace roaring while Babyface’s Christmas album plays in the background. A lot of us will never outgrow loving Christmas, and this is why A Dickens Holiday, which will take place Friday, Nov. 28, from noon to 9 p.m. in the heart of historic downtown Fayetteville, is so successful.
“A Dickens Holiday is a celebration of the opening of the season of the holidays downtown,” said Elaine Kelley, chair of A Dickens Holiday Committee. “It started out as a traditional thing to try to get people to join us downtown on what is known as Black Friday.”
She added, “It turned into a tradition of holiday shopping, community and fun.”
The day-long Fayetteville tradition includes businesses with seasonal specials, shopping with artisan street vendors, carriage rides, people dressed in Victorian costumes, selling of handmade goods and holiday treats, characters from Charles Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol, including Ebenezer Scrooge, the ghost of Marley, Tiny Tim, The Cratchit Family, the Queen and her court, holiday music, contests, performers, local kids from dance and theater groups, carolers, specialty events and more.
“You can come at 1 p.m. to the Hay Street United Methodist Church to hear Dr. Elliot Engel, professor, talk about A Christmas Carol and how it transformed to what we know as Christmas today,” said Kelley.
“You can attend A Royal Tea and Tour of the Sandford House, which is the Heritage Square Historical Society’s property, and have a tea with some light things to eat, get a tour of the facilities and take pictures with Queen Victoria.”
The horse-drawn carriage ride is an event favorite, and reservations fill up quickly.
“You pay for the carriage ride that lasts about 15 minutes in downtown Fayetteville," said Kelley. "You can have between 4 to 6 people in your carriage and have a lovely time together.”
With any great event, there is great food.
“There will be hot cocoa, apple cider stops and an area where there will be food trucks,” said Kelley. “In addition to our restaurants that are always going to be open, many of them have specialty items just for A Dickens Holiday.”
Kelley added, “You can get everything from street food to being able to sit down or grab a quick bite all the way through the day and into the evening.”
Step into the Fezziwig Ball at A Dickens Holiday. Come dressed in Victorian attire and enjoy afternoon dance instruction with Jeremy Gershman and the Cape Fear Heritage Dance Club at Volta Space from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and an evening celebration at Skyview on Hay Street from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There is a gingerbread house contest that will run the entirety of the day, and public voting takes place between noon and 7 p.m. Come dressed in holiday attire or Victorian attire and enter the Photo Contest for Best Dressed. Vendor booths will also be judged for the most festive and creative décor.
“We had lots of Cumberland County Schools that participated, and it was just so much fun to see the creations that students, young adults and professionals had made,” said Kelley. “We will also have Victorian llamas, a magician, a balloon twister and picture opportunities with Father Christmas and the llamas.”
She added, “The gingerbread house contest and the costume contest winners will be announced on the Person Street stage between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.”
The most popular attraction of the event is the Candlelight Procession that will begin at 5 p.m.
Cape Fear Valley Scottish Clans and Cross Creek Pipes & Drums will play and lead the procession. “Thousands of people light candles and we walk down the street to the lighting of the Christmas tree and have a small ceremony,” said Kelley. “It is just a magical moment, and if you have not been there before, you will find that this is the thing that you will remember above all.”
Kelley added, “After that, we are going to have Elves’ Night Off, where Santa’s helpers, who are so tired from working and need some time off, come down and spend the evening enjoying our nightlife. We want to encourage everyone to go to the Segra Stadium and see the Holiday Lights. The evening will conclude with a dazzling fireworks display in Segra Stadium at 9 p.m.”
“This event has had a 26-year run, and we have enjoyed anywhere between 18,000 to 21,000 people through the course of the day,” said Kelley. “We are looking forward to celebrating the holidays in full force, and this year’s event is spread throughout downtown Fayetteville on Hay Street, Franklin Street, Person Street and Maxwell Street.”
The event is free and open to the public; however, there are some special ticketed events that cost an entrance fee. The first 100 patrons will receive exclusive “Dickens Dollars” that can be used that day at participating shops. For more information, visit www.adickensholiday.com or email director@adickensholiday.com.

(Top Photo: The Ghost of Christmas Present makes an appearance in Downtown Fayetteville. Bottom Photo: Marley's Ghost haunts the streets of Fayetteville during A Dickens Holiday. Photos courtesy of A Dickens Holiday)