Victorian-Era London Coming To Riverside County For Dickens Festival

RIVERSIDE, CA —The celebrated Riverside Dickens Festival will be held during the last weekend of this month, transforming the downtown space into Victorian-era London, with an assortment of characters and shows reflective of author Charles Dickens' life and times.

The 30th annual fest will be centered along the Main Street pedestrian mall, between Mission Inn Avenue and 11th Street, on Feb. 25 and 26.

"We have spent 30 years educating the public about this intricate point in history, each year striving to bring more," according to the festival's website. "This will be our biggest year yet. There is something for everyone ... all weekend, and you won't see the same thing twice!"

The entire event was nearly nixed in February 2021 amid the coronavirus public health lockdowns, but organizers managed to throw together a virtual presentation featuring profiles of Dickens' stories and other entertainment online.

In-person activities returned last February.

The 2023 fest schedule is still being ironed out, but past celebrations have featured theatrical performances, pageants, music, speeches, historical recreations and children's activities. Visitors often encounter actors representing Dickens, Queen Victoria, Bram Stoker, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Louisa May Alcott, Jules Verne, Emily Bronte, Mary Shelley and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — to name a few.

The formal opening is slated for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, during which a "grand parade," populated by Dickens' characters and other Victorians, will be staged along Main Street near the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.

Merchants will sell food and wares reminiscent of a 19th century London bazaar during the fest, interspersed with caroling and dancing, around the pedestrian mall. A number of events will be centered outside the Riverside Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main St.

More information is available at dickensfest.com/.