Dickens on the Strand – 2021

This past December, I attended the Dickens on the Strand festival in Galveston, TX. It’s a great festival and I’ll show you that in this post.

If you follow me on social media, you know I like to arrive early when attending special events. It’s easier to park and I like to capture the beginning of the event with photos to add to the story of a day in attendance.

Here is a shot of the Strand. It’s a perfect place for a festival. They host a Mardi Gras celebration here also and you can read about that in another post of mine. I love how clean the street is. Nice job.

Here is the write up about the festival…

Dickens on the Strand is an annual Christmas festival organized by the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas occurring the first weekend in December. Established in 1974 and set against the historical backdrop of Galveston’s Strand, participants come to witness and relive the Charles Dickens era.

Here’s another write up…

For several years, Galveston’s Christmas festival Dickens on the Strand has been a big hit during the holiday season, drawing crowds of more than 35,000, according to Galveston Historical Foundation.

One of the first things I noticed at DOTS was the trash can covers. It may seem trivial, but having the trash cans covered like this increases the aesthetic value of the festival. If you didn’t notice trash cans everywhere, it worked because they blended in.

I met Scott early in the morning that Saturday. He’s a balloon artist.

When I attend special events, I like to cover the food as well. This is Naji’s food stand.

He serves a variety of food and it all looks good.

He told me that he went through 11 cases of Turkey Legs in one day.

I asked Naji to make me a plate of just a few fried shrimp. He loaded me up and didn’t charge me.

The breakfast of champions.

The event has several street vendors and that gives it a great feel for a street festival.

Captain America. Very cool look.

On this Saturday, I saw this gentleman walking towards me and I stopped him for a pic. Take note of this because it will come up later in this post.

Lovely ladies.

These two guys had some really nice uniforms on. Thumbs up.

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from June 20th, 1837 until her death on January 22nd, 1901.

A beautiful young lady in a beautiful dress.

Here is a write up about Dickens…

Charles Dickens, Charles John Huffam Dickens, (born February 7, 1812, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England – died June 9, 1870, Gad’s Hill, near Chatham, Kent), English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era.

Even though DOTS is about the Dickens / Victorian era, you will see almost anything by way of costumes, outfits and garb.

Great dresses with matching hats. Very nice.

This woman is a Pony Express rider. I said I thought she was Calamity Jane. She said she gets that a lot. I think it’s the hat.

Here is the write up about Steampunk’s era…

The most common historical steampunk settings are the Victorian and Edwardian eras, though some in this “Victorian steampunk” category are set as early as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and as late as the end of World War I.

This guy did stunts like lie on a bed of nails. Interesting street performers help create a fun environment at DOTS.

This gentleman would give you a ride on the back of his conveyance. Notice how I didn’t say bicycle. That’s because I’m not sure what to call what he is riding.

And you will see Pirates at the festival.

Lots of Bobbies at DOTS.

Here is the write up about Bobbies…

Bobby, slang term for a member of London’s Metropolitan Police derived from the name of Sir Robert “Bob” Peel, who established the force in 1829. Police officers in London are also known as “peelers” for the same reason.

I came across a few Santas.

Notice her Steampunk goggles and corset. Cute girl, good look.

There was even a place to play a game of Cricket.

Here’s another gentleman offering rides.

Creative uses for the same material.

The Queen and her Court.

The beggars are a favorite of mine to photograph. The baby with black marks on his face is cute.

The festival has several groups that sing throughout the day. Great voices and great outfits.

I came across the Queen talking with Charles Dickens. She was giving him what for because he missed her party. Funny exchange.

He then read a selection for the audience. This guy looks a lot like Charles Dickens.

Here is the real Dickens for your comparison.

Father Christmas.

Great outfits and pith helmets. With Steampunk goggles as well.

My favorite Steampunk couple.

Completely awesome.

Charles Dickens wrote fifteen novels. He also wrote short stories, essays, articles and novellas.

Bobbies on this stand gave helpful info and offered great photos.

The girl in the shades struck a great pose.

Steampunk goggles.

Great beggar pose.

Steampunk is a favorite of mine and I love how creative people get with it.

One cute Pirate.

Beautiful dresses and parasols.

Attending DOTS is like Time Traveling. I love walking down the Strand and seeing all kinds of people. Pirates may be my favorite.

Another favorite beggar family.

I took several photos of the different choirs. One mother saw a photo on my site where I had captured her 2 daughters with their choir. She then donated to our charity foundation because she was so pleased.

I met Tony at the Texas Renaissance Festival and then again at DOTS. Great Steampunk look.

A stand sold these mugs and then you could fill up the rest of the day for free.

Three lovely ladies having a fun time.

“Get your damned dirty hands off of my wine.”

Bobbies are always unarmed and only carry a Night Stick. When they were created, it was decided to try and differentiate them from the British Military, which was viewed with some hostility.

Another parasol in this next pic.

What is the difference between an umbrella and a parasol?

Generally, an umbrella has a curved handle to allow for easy grip and storage. A parasol, however, (in Latin para for “shelter or shield” and sol “sun”) is typically constructed from more delicate fabrics such as lace, cotton, silk, linen, canvas and plastic.

The steam from his jet pack is really awesome. Great pic of a cool couple.

A good looking and sounding choir.

A fun-loving girl here.

I’ve photographed this couple at the TexRenFest also.

A beautiful woman in a great hat and outfit.

Choirs add to the great atmosphere of the festival.

Lovely hats and great sashes.

Pirates make any party better.

Plenty of food options at the festival.

Everyone has a great time at DOTS. Great parasol in the background.

Street performers are a great addition and they entertain a lot of people.

How do you make a Pirate mad?

Take away the P.

A Steampunk Santa and Mrs. Claus. Very cool indeed.

Another great pic of a beautiful woman.

It takes a lot of talent to walk on stilts. My hat is off to her.

A Bobby told me that I had a ‘Get out of Jail’ card for the day. I never needed it.

A fun pic.

This is one stylish couple.

The phrase “what the dickens,” first mentioned in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, was a euphemism for conjuring the devil.

Charles Dickens first wrote under the name of Boz because he didn’t want any negative references to the devil.

Once his work became known by the public, he used his real name.

Dickens owned a beloved raven he named Grip, and it even appears as a character in his novel Barnaby Rudge.

Following the bird’s death from eating lead paint chips later that year, Dickens replaced it with another raven, also called Grip, which was allegedly the inspiration behind Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.”

A great looking group of friends enjoying the festival.

Edgar Allan Poe made an appearance at the festival. Here is the write up about Poe…

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature.

This guy did a a great job with his recitation of Poe’s work.

These next pics are from the Sunday of the festival.

Naji hooked me up with something for breakfast.

Beefeaters out in full-force.

A favorite of mine from the event.

My favorite beggar family.

Pirates and vampires. Ya gotta love DOTS.

What do you call a Pirate with both eyes and both legs?

A rookie.

Another write up about Dickens…

Early in 1843, as a response to a government report on the abuse of child laborers in mines and factories, Dickens vowed he would strike a “sledge-hammer blow… on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child.”

That sledge-hammer was ‘A Christmas Carol’.

I happen to catch the Queen and her procession heading down the Strand. Great pic.

This gentleman on the left said he didn’t care for Pirates, so I told him I was a Privateer. All good Pirates know how to lie.

Another great performer at the festival.

I ran into this couple again on Sunday.

He’ll always get a close-up. He looks that good.

In addition to ravens, Dickens loved cats.

When his cat, Bob, died in 1862, he had its’ paw stuffed and mounted to an ivory letter opener and engraved with “C.D., In memory of Bob, 1862.” The letter opener is now on display at the Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the New York Public Library.