Dickens of a Christmas

Dickens of a Christmas is a free street festival held the first three Friday evenings in December in Roanoke's downtown. It has been named among the Top 20 Events by the Southeast Tourism Society since 2002. On all three nights, festivities start around 6 p.m. and continue throughout the evening until 10 p.m., including live stage and street performances of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” by students from the William Fleming High School and Roanoke Catholic Theatre Departments. Other activities that traditionally take place include carriage rides, live carolers, a magician, a fire eater and sword swallower, photos with Santa, a living nativity scene, a Santa’s Workshop, and more.