Have A Dickens Of A Good Time This Holiday Season!

Entertaining street performers are always a big hit during Dickens of A Christmas.
Entertaining street performers are always a big hit during Dickens of A Christmas.

It’s December again in Roanoke – that means colder weather, holiday shopping and of course a Dickens of a Christmas. The annual celebration returns to downtown Roanoke for three Friday nights this month, including the tree lighting ceremony at Wells Fargo Plaza on December 2 at 6:15pm.

One week later the City of Roanoke Christmas parade will take place on December 9, to be followed by the Coca-Cola Snow Zone (streets covered with man-made snow for sledders of any age) and the RVSPCA Pet Costume Contest on December 16.

All the while there are roasted chestnuts, horse-drawn carriage rides, street performers, Christmas carolers in Victorian costumes and the like. The decorated tree to be lit on December 2 is a donated 30-foot tall Norway spruce that came from a home on Mud Lick Road. The ceremony kicks off at 5:30 that night with performances on stage before the switch is thrown to light the tree.

Jamie Clark, a marketing and communications specialist for Downtown Roanoke Incorporated, notes that this is the 34th year for Dickens. “We get huge crowds coming downtown enjoying the fun, holiday activities. Last year we had over 30,000 people downtown. It’s a great draw for the entire region and some come from out of the area . . . The parade on December 9 always attracts a ton of great entries.”

Clark calls it a “huge, family-friendly holiday festival. We’ve got lots of fun activities. There’s really something for everybody.” Local merchants and eateries that are open during Dickens also benefit as well from the increased foot traffic that often leads to more business–and perhaps a new customer.

“It definitely gets you in the mood for the holidays,” says Clark of the annual holiday extravaganza.

Gene Marrano

 

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