Thousands Jam Downtown Narberth for Dickens Festival

On Saturday, the Narberth Dickens Festival transformed the main streets of Narberth into a parcel of 1840's London.

All the characters from Charles Dickens' classic tale, "A Christmas Carol," were walking the streets that were lined with vendors selling foods from the period, goods, and providing entertainment, all under blue skies on a brisk, calm day.

Thousands of people from the region came to experience the event and its many activities, including a free scavenger hunt & free prizes for kids, horse and carriage rides, musicians and carolers, ice sculpting displays, a "Punch and Judy" puppet show performances and "Nutcracker" dance performances from the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet and much more.

"Every year it exceeds our expectations," said Ed Ridgway, communications director for the Narberth Business Association (NBA). "It seems like there were twice as many people as last year--and last year was a huge success."

Ridgway, sporting a Victorian era top hat, said the NBA planned on 750 children taking part in the scavenger hunt, in which kids look throughout Narberth's main downtown streets for characters from Dickens' famous story. Though the event ran from noon until 4 p.m., all 750 scavenger hunt packages were gone by 2:30.

"By the time 1 o'clock rolled around, we were mobbed," said Fred "Fezziwig" Hansell, the assistant borough manager.

"In just a few years, this has really taken on a life of its own," said Pat Dailey, the NBA's president. "There were thousands and thousands of people here, and every one of them seemed to have a smile on their faces. It's really become a signature holiday event for the Main Line." 

Our gallery gives a glimpse of the scene.

Patch editors Thomas J. Walsh and Eric Campbell contributed to this report.