When: first weekend in December

What do Charles Dickens and the Texas coast have in common? Not a darn thing, except for North America's largest Victorian Christmas celebration--Dickens on The Strand. Every year tens of thousands of revelers don period clothes and hoist a cup of cheer to jolly old 19th century England, right in the beachside city of Galveston. What started as a potluck dinner to promote the city's historic venues has now become one of Texas' top winter events. All the fun takes place in the historic downtown district known as The Strand.

It's fitting that this historic region hosts the city's most historic party. The spirit of Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and even Queen Victoria come to this seaside party where it's encouraged, not only to take part in the period fun, but to dress the part as well. The fun includes events such as The Queen's Parade, complete with "Queen Victoria" and a guard of Beefeaters processing through 10 blocks in an elegant horse-drawn carriage, a Dickens Costume Contest, and Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Knighting Ceremony.

For romantics, the highlight of the event is the Royal Victorian Wedding Ceremony, a group nondenominational ceremony conducted by a licensed minister. Couples who would like to renew their wedding vows are also welcome to participate.

Cost

The cost for the Victorian Wedding event is $350 per couple, which includes two festival admission tickets, use of the wedding site, decorations, bridal bouquet, boutonniere, minister's fees, and music by one of the Dickens on the Strand bagpipe players. For an additional cost, there will also be a professional photographer on hand to provide photos to individual couples.

Booking

To participate in the Victorian Wedding, call the Dickens on the Strand Festival office events department at 409-765-7834 ext. 39 or see www.galvestonhistory.org/Dickens_Overview.asp.

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