Dickens Festival to Take Residents to Another Era

Downtown Riverside will be turned into something from a Dicken’s novel — “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” to be exact — as the annual Riverside Dickens Festival pulls into town. Now in its 21st year, the festival will kick off on Friday night, Feb. 21, and will feature festival staples including Mr. Pickwick’s Pub Night at the Life Arts Center. Saturday morning, Feb. 22, Queen Victoria and Mr. Charles Dickens himself will officially open the festival on the Main Street Pedestrian Mall near City Hall in historic downtown Riverside. Events will also include favorites like the traditional Evensong program presented in the First Congregational Church sanctuary, located on Mission Inn Avenue at Lemon Street, Saturday evening, Feb. 23, by Riverside’s Raincross Chorale. New surprises this year will be shown during Mr. Fezziwig’s Ball on Feb. 23 at the Riverside Municipal Auditorim: a Victorian Reception, entertainment and vintage photography. Scheduled vendors this year include the London Marketplace, Mr. Fezziwig’s Ball, Queen’s Tea, Crummles Theater, Oliver’s Alley (children’s activities), street entertainers, several costumed characters and period food. New events for the 21st anniversary event include the “Trial of Jack the Ripper,” written by Richard Brent Reed, Esq, and will be held in Department 1 in the historic Riverside Courthouse. Student essay contest winners will also be announced, and the high school drama contest winners will have the opportunity to show off their talents. Each year, the annual literary festival emphasizes the 19th century works of authors, both English and American, with Victorian-era English author Charles Dickens being the classic figure. Through drama, art, music, dance and other engaging cultural events, the festival portrays the life and times of another era. It is organized and hosted entirely by volunteers with the financial support from the community, including the city of Riverside, many individuals and businesses. Many of the festival’s events are free but some require reservations and tickets. For information on how to purchase tickets for a certain event, visit www.dickensfest.com. The festival will be held on Main Street in downtown Riverside, between University Avenue and 10th Street, in front of City Hall.