SF’s 41st Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

It is perpetually Christmas Eve at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair! The Fair transports you to the London of Charles Dickens – a city of winding lanes filled with colorful characters from both literature and history – all in a festive mood! Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with handmade gifts. The Dickens Christmas Fair is a treasured Bay Area tradition since 1970 and a splendid way to celebrate the holidays. Enjoy new immersive experiences, and a live steam train as you arrive in the Victoria Station lobby.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party takes visitors on a deeply immersive adventure through the theaters, pubs, and dance halls of Victorian London. Wander through lamplit lanes lined with charming shops of handmade gifts, and meet and mingle with hundreds of costumed characters. Explore while enjoying the enticing aromas of hot apple cider and roasted cinnamon almonds. The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a time traveler’s delight and a one-of-a-kind adventure into holiday merriment!

2025 The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

WHERE: The Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, CA
WHEN: Five weekends from November 23 through December 22 including the Friday after Thanksgiving, from 10 am to 6 pm.
TICKETS:

Please note, tickets are only available online. Tickets on sale now. Please note that Red Barn Productions, producers of The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, is the only official seller. There are no authorized ticket resellers or on-site box office.

• General Adult (All day ticket – Ages 13 and up): $45
• General Youth (All day ticket – Ages 5-12): $25
• Children under 5: FREE
  
• Fair Season Pass: $160 (a $495 value)

2025 Special Discounts:

> Active Military: FREE – Active Military personnel plus three family members all receive FREE Admission on 1st and 2nd weekends! (November 22/23, 28/29/30 only). Online reservations not required, show active military I.D at on-site Willcall Booth.

> Twilight Special (entry after 3 p.m. only):

• Adult Twilight Ticket: $30.00
• Child Twilight Ticket: $18.00

Discover these theatrical venues, stages and environments as you explore the Fair! (See posted schedule at each stage or in the free event program available at the Fair entrance, which also includes a map of the Fair.) Please see online schedule here. New this year, visitors will discover a miniature live steam train as they arrive at the Fair’s Victoria Station lobby.

The Streets of London

The bustling, colourful London of Charles Dickens comes to life in the streets he chronicled so well. Watch for Mr Dickens and characters from his novels throughout the streets ~ scenes from “A Christmas Carol” and his other works may emerge at any time!

Characters You May Meet:

Multitudes of characters from the imagination of Mr. Charles Dickens are brought vividly to life in our Victorian London! Hundreds of costumed players create living history all around you – and you are heartily welcome to join in!

You may bump into grumpy Mr. Scrooge (or later in the day, the infectiously jolly reformed Mr. Scrooge), or the mysterious ghosts of Jacob Marley and Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come. Watch the Artful Dodger introduce Oliver Twist to London. Follow dashing young Nicholas Nickleby and his family as they learn to negotiate their new lives in London. Exchange a hearty seasonal greeting with the inimitable Mr. Charles Dickens himself!

Mingle with musicians, carolers, music hall performers, saucy sailors, craftsmen, and so many more. You may even shake the hand of a chimney sweep for luck!

Parades:

[time to be determined] – Father Christmas Parade to Father Christmas Stage (Father Christmas also visits with children here at 4:00pm.)

Towards the end of the day, be sure to be on the lookout for the festive and traditional Boar’s Head Procession, and throughout the day for lively processions of costermongers and other denizens of London’s vibrant streets!

The Green Man Inn

The beating heart of London, where the locals gather to celebrate the season, raise a glass, plan adventures, and share the news of the day! At any moment a lively round of song might erupt, or merry capers suddenly liven the parlour. You are welcome to sit down with a glass of refreshment and enjoy the bustle!

Port & Chocolate Tastings are held across the way at the Royal Libation Society at 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, and 5:15. The cost is $30.00. Tickets are available online, or you may check at the door of the RLS.
The Champagne Experience, featuring fine champagne from B. Stuyvesant, will be held at the Royal Libation Society at 12:30 and 2:30. You may get your tickets online, or ask at the door of the RLS for more information. The cost is $75.00.

Fezziwig’s Dance Party

Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig, young Scrooge’s employers, invite you to their holiday party – and you are most welcome to join in the fun! Be entertained by shows, scenes from A Christmas Carol, entr’actes, and special guest acts! Throughout the day, Greenwich Mean Time provides lively ballroom & English country dance music, with Waltzes, polkas, set dances and choreographed mixers. Each set commencing with a special exhibition of Victorian dance.

The dancers at Mr. Fezziwig’s party will be delighted to dance with you. If you have come with a partner, feel free to join in. Otherwise, look for the dancers with red rose boutonnieres — they’re part of the show and ready to teach, lead, and share the joy of dance with everyone. Whether you arrive with a partner or solo, you’re sure to find a willing partner among the many dancers, or perhaps Mrs. Fezziwig herself will introduce you to someone! Each set features a delightful mix of period dances, all taught and called, making them easy and fun to learn. Mixed dances include changing partners, allowing you to meet new friends while twirling across the floor. Don’t miss the chance to join the merriment and create unforgettable memories on Fezziwig’s dance floor!

Victoria & Albert Bijou Music Hall

A dazzling panoply of the finest entertainment in London, presented by the finest performers in the West End!

Dickens’ Study at Tavistock House

This is where you may find the great novelist at work on his latest novel, visited frequently by his illustrious friends (including Edgar Allan Poe), his family, and a host of his characters.

Mr Dickens will read from A Christmas Carol at 11:30, 1:30, 2:45, and 4:30.

Father Christmas Stage & Punch & Judy Puppet Theatre

Sweet caroling rings out and Father Christmas himself magically appears! Young folks may join him for a holiday photo memento (no family portraits please). Family fare continues as children are chosen to participate in delightful shows and sing-a-longs. Across the way you’ll find the Traveling Piccolo Puppet Players with illuminating antics from Mr. Punch and his mischevious friends.

Paddy West Stage at the London Docks

Welcome to The London Docks, Thameside home to the Paddy West School of Seamanship and other nautical riffraff. In addition to stage shows, entertainment throughout the day includes music and seafaring songs; navigation lessons with model ships; knot tying, games & sailing skills; and a traveling tattoo parlour.

Mermaid Tavern Stage

The sounds of spirited music and lively dance ring out all through the day. Grab a pint and enjoy the fun!

Chancery Lane

Where Mr. Dickens’ characters and stories come to life in vibrant scenes from A Christmas Carol and other Dickens works, interspersed with exuberant musical interludes. This is also where the wildly (and comically) theatrical Crummles Family Troupe holds forth, as well as the location of Scrooge & Marley’s Counting House, the Cratchits’ humble home, and much more!

The Athenaeum Club

Where the leading lights of the literary, artistic, scientific, and business worlds assemble to discuss their projects and to share them with the public in a variety of presentations and activities.

Mad Sal’s Dockside Ale House

Raucous merriment draws the venturesome soul to “The Docks,” wherein Mad Sal herself presides over a host of talented singers, dancers, and more than a few shifty sorts. Watch your pockets – and your propriety!