Dickens on the Strand

Behold! Galveston transforms into a Victorian Christmas wonderland

Dickens on the Strand returns for another year.

In Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge saw the error of his ways and vowed to keep Christmas in his heart all year long. That might be a bit much for the rest of us, but Galveston honors the holiday once a year in fitting fashion, with an English extravaganza called Dickens on the Strand.

You’ll hear no one saying “bah, humbug” here. The Victorian-themed event features parades, six entertainment stages, strolling carolers, and roving entertainers including musicians, bagpipers, and jugglers. Street stalls and carts staffed by appropriately attired vendors peddle holiday food and drink, crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations, and more.

The backdrop for all these festivities is The Strand, the city’s National Historic Landmark District, blocks of near-miraculously preserved buildings bearing architectural styles popular in Victorian times. Built in the mid- to late-1800s, these buildings were part of a prosperous business district that, along with the shipping channel and port, made Galveston the largest metropolis in the state for a time.

Dickens on The Strand begins on November 30 with a free party from 5-9 pm at Fezziwig’s Beer Hall on 22nd Street between Strand and Mechanic streets, featuring live entertainment and hearty ales. St. Arnold’s Architectural Walking Tours offers special circumnavigations of the district beginning at 7 pm on November 30, 11 am and 4:30 pm on December 1, and 4:30 pm on December 2.

The event traditionally invites one of Charles Dickens’ descendants, and this year Oliver "Ollie" Dickens, a British actor, attends to perform his ancestor’s best-loved Christmas tales. Also keep your eyes peeled for Father Christmas roaming the lighted streets along with Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, town criers, and other characters.

Other events include:

Traditional English breakfast with great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens Jane Monk — December 1 at 8 am
Cocktails and cannon fire aboard the Tall Ship Elissa in the Galveston Historic Seaport (transformed into a London wharf for the evening) — December 2 at 4:30 pm
Festival of Lights — December 2
Queen’s Parade — December 2 at 2 pm
Annual Victorian Bed Race — December 2 at 4:30 pm

Galveston’s holiday festivities, including the buzzed about Miracle Bar pop-up, continue all month long, and include a lighting celebration, ice sculptures, and a festival of lights at Moody Gardens, sandhill crane tours, and decorated trolleys.

Stay in the heart of the action at The Tremont House, a hotel created in 1981 in the former Leon & H. Blum Building, built in 1879. For those who don’t want the merry-making to end, cross the street to the Quarters at the Tremont House, which house extended stay suites with full kitchens, living and dining space, and king-sized bedrooms.

Another lodging option with its own Dickens feel is the circa-1894 Belle of Ball Street, a three-story mansion that sleeps 16 and seats 13 at the dining room table. Tony and Eileen Benvegnu, who bought the house in 2015, decorate it for the holidays complete with a large tree.

If old Scrooge ever came to Galveston, no doubt he would once again say, “A merry Christmas to everybody!”

holidays festivals

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

obituary music country music