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Dickens's Evening on the Strand
Victorian life revisited in Galveston
by Diane Yount
Battalion Staff
It's jugglers, pipers, hot cross
buns and gas-lit streets. It's
carolers, mimes. Tiny Tim and
Scrooge. It's the Budweiser
Clydesdales and Queen Victor
ia. It's Dickens's Evening on the
Strand — a reconstruction of life
in Victorian England.
Characters from Charles
Dickens stories will come to life
in the restored Victorian shops
and buildings of Galveston in
the annual event scheduled for
Friday and Saturday.
Tickets are $4 for adults, $1
for people over 65 years and for
children between the ages of six
and 12. The ticket price includes
a bus ride to Strand Street and a
chance to experience a Victorian
Christmas.
Dickens's Evening on the
Strand has its roots in the his
tory of Dickens and in the his
tory of the Galveston Historical
Society.
And Dickens would have
approved.
"Dickens frequented Strand
Street in London in the 1800's,"
Public Relations Director Laura
Olafson said.
"The Strand in Galveston is a
concentrated commercial dis
trict that was built in the Victo
rian days. Our street was mod
eled after the one in London. It
just seemed like the perfect
back-drop for a Dickens party,"
she said.
Although the event started
out as a block party, Dicken's
Evening has continued to grow
in the past nine years.
"Dickens's Evening started
out as a block party," Olafson
said. "At first the event was just
for the historical society, but last
year we had 65,000 paid people.
And About 120,000 people real-
7/ came."
Some of those "extra"people
are the volunteers—about 4,000
of them.
"There are over 500 groups
who will perform different acts
this year," Olafson said. "Peo
ple from out-of-state would call
us to perform. Some of the acts
are done in the theatre. Most are
impromptu."
Like the time Scrooge and Mr.
Pickwick argued the merits of
Christmas on a street corner.
"We drew quite a crowd,"
Steve Long, alias Ebenezer
Scrooge, said. "It was pretty
much ad lib. It really is such a
kick. I think Scrooge is the most
fun character to do. I wander
around the street and harass
"I think Scrooge is the
funnest character to do.
I wander around the
street and harass peo
ple. I've memorized
some of the original
Dickens lines and I say
'Bah, humbug' a lot.
The kids are usually
scared to death." —
Steve Long, alias
Ebenezer Scrooge.
people. I've memorized some of
the original Dickens lines and I
say 'Bah, humbug' a lot. The
kids are usually scared to
death."
Like several of the other peo
ple who play characters. Long
has performed the part of
Scrooge for more than one year.
"I alway wanted to do
Scrooge," Long said. "The ex
ecutive director of the historical
society and I were drinking a
beer one time and we decided to
alternate the job. I provide part
of my costume and the historical
society provides the other. I
have my own top hat."
Peter Fredrickson, the editor
of In Between magazine, also
has been a character for two
years.
"Last year I got broken-in
hawking Christmas cards,"
Fredrickson says. "This year I'm
going to be the town crier. I
announce upcoming events. I
give people instructions on how
to get places. You know, like the
privvies. You gotta be loud; the
street gets pretty crowded."
Although some of the volun
teers are members of the Galves
ton Historical Society, about half
are not.
"About 2,000 of the volun
teers are members," Olafson
said. "They recruit their friends
and then their friends end up
joining. Dicken's Evening on
the Strand is our biggest fun
draiser. The more people help,
the more restoration we can do.
This is really a big event for Gal
veston. Everyone gets involved.
No one really imagined it would
grow to this magnitude. Last
year we raised around
$150,000."
Aside from the spontaneous
cries of 'Bah, humbug,' and
'Hear Ye, hear Ye,' provided by
the volunteers in costume,
many scheduled events take
place.
"We are having a Victorian
Baby Contest for the first time
this year," Olafson said. "We
aren't accepting any more en
tries. We already have 35. The
prizes will go to the baby in the
most authentic dress of the time.
Some wonderful prizes have
been donated by local mer
chants."
Other events scheduled for
the two-day event are a Parade
of Characters, including the
Budweiser Clydesdales, a Bell
Ringers Festival, a 35-foot
Christmas tree, performances
by the Great Grimaldi and the
presentation of a hot-air bal
loon.
"This is the first year that we
are really going to fill the balloon
up," Olafson said. "Last year
the weather wasn't right. Mr.
Ivan Koenig usually charges ab
out $250 to show his balloon, but
he brings it here for free. It is
really cute."
To provide some entertain
ment for the children, Grimaldi
the Great will be returning for
the fifth year. Every year, Paul
Lombard dons white make-up
and rag-tag, colorful clothing to
become the famous British
clown.
"After I slip into Grimaldi's
costume of knickers, red coat,
yellow undershirt and white
face, I transform mentally as
well," Lombard said.
"I can flirt with the young
ladies, dance with the children
and put a smile on the saddest of
faces," he said.
In addition to the perform
ances of the returning Grimaldi,
Alfred Hyslop, the producer of
Sesame Street, will be perform
ing "A Christmas Carol," and
the Strand Stree Theatre will
present "Oliver."
As an added bonus, anyone
going to Dickens's Evening in
full Victorian dress will be
admitted free to the festival
"This year any extra money
raised will go to the restoration
of the Samuel May Williams
House," Olafson said.
"Williams was one of the co
founders of Galveston. In pre
vious years, the money has gone
to projects like Ashton Villa and
the Elissa," he said.
The Elissa is a restored ship
that can be visited during Dick
ens's Evening.
Ashton Villa is a mansion that
was restored by the Galveston
Historical Society seven years
ago.
"Ashton Villa is a project of
the foundation," Olafson said.
"They will be having an English
tea there on Saturday. Each
serving is about 10 pastries —
Other events scheduled
for the two-day event
are a Parade of Charac
ters, including the Bud
weiser Clydesdales, a
Bell Ringers Festival, a
35-foot Christmas tree,
performances by the
Great Grimaldi and the
presentation of a hot-air
balloon.
crumpets, tarts — so we recom
mend that people split a
serving."
The continuing list of activi
ties for the two-day event also
includes a bear who does tricks,
vendors selling their wares, sev
eral tradesman giving demon
strations on their work and an
international trading market.
Although Scrooge isn't sup
posed to enjoy festive activities,
Steve Long definitely enjoys
Dickens's Evening on the
Strand.
Long said, "It's about the best
event Tve ever been to or been
involved in. If it's foggy the
whole scene is really wonderful.
It transforms itself into London
at Christmastime."
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