Dickens Festival in downtown Riverside: Click below to watch our video report.

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The annual Dickens Festival brings a bit of Victorian England to downtown Riverside this weekend; rain or shine.

The festival, which celebrates the life and work of author Charles Dickens, includes children’s activities, historical re-enactments, antique printing press demonstrations at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, performances, marionette shows, Irish dancers, storytelling, lectures, a Victorian fashion show, tours and vendors.

InstantRiverside.com covered this event in 2009– it’s also rained that weekend, but did not dampen the enthusiasm of participants.

The theme this year is “A Visit to the Old Curiosity Shop.”

Saturday marks the official festival opening — featuring Mr. Dickens, Mr. Pickwick, Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig and Queen Victoria, or at least reasonable facsimiles thereof.

Mr. Fezziwig’s Grand Ball on Saturday evening is sold out, according to the Dickens Festival website.

Our purpose is to enhance a sense of community among citizens of Riverside County and Southern California by creating a series of literary events and to provide educational, family-oriented, literary entertainment and activities such as plays, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and a street bazaar with free entertainment, vendors and costumed characters, according to the organizations website.

Filed under Video Library, Entertainment, Headline

Saturday, February 6, 2010

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