2019 Narberth Dickens Festival: What You Need To Know

NARBERTH, PA — The annual Narberth Dickens Festival is all set for Dec. 8, and we have details you need to know about the Victorian-era festival.

From noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, downtown Narberth will transform into 1840s London for the festival that will be full of Dickensian references and characters from the classic tale "A Christmas Carol."

Attendees will be able to enjoy period street vendors and food, caroling, musicians, costumed performers, puppet shows, dance performances, ice sculpting, carriage rides, and more.

See a map of the festival online here.

Kids can join in the free scavenger hunt from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and win prizes. Participants will get a beggar's tin cup in which they will collect wooden nickels that can be redeemed for prizes.

Before the hunt, Reel Cinemas Narberth 2 — located at 129 N Narberth Ave. — will host a free showing of "A Muppet Christmas Carol" at 11 a.m. The movie is rated G movie and runs 89 minutes.

The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet will host three performances during the festival "on the hill" of North Narberth Avenue. Performances will be held at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Attendees will start their time at the festival by getting a "passport" stamped at the Immigration station at the corner of Forrest and Haverford Avenues. There, pick up a copy of "The London Fish Wrapper," the festival's newspaper, which lists the events of the day, with a map, and information about the scavenger hunt and everything else you need to know about the festival.

After the passport is stamped, attendees might want to buy a bag of shillings for the family to spend on carriage rides, souvenirs, food, and other items throughout the festival. A shilling is a gold coin worth $5 on the day of the festival.

Many vendors and merchants throughout the town will accept the shillings the same as cash and attendees can exchange cash for shillings, and shillings for cash, all day at the currency exchange booths on Essex and Forrest avenues.

All Festival booths and many shops and vendors around town accept shillings. Shillings are the only way to pay for carriage rides at the festival.

Parking is available on streets near the festival, and the meters are free on Sunday. Some parking is available on the south side of Narberth across the Narberth Avenue bridge on the streets and in the Septa commuter lot, which is also free on Sundays.

The following areas are also open for parking:

• Narberth Borough Hall (100 Conway Ave.)
• Windsor and Forrest avenues - two lots available from Windsor Avenue side
• Citizens Bank on Haverford Avenue
• Elmwood Avenue Septa lot on the other side of the train station
• St Margaret's School on North Narberth Avenue
• Narberth Presbyterian Church on Windsor Avenue

A full list of the festival's events, activities, features, and more is below:

• 11 a.m. — “Muppet Christmas Carol” Narberth Theater, Nortj Narberth Avenue. Free showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Limited to theater capacity of first 212 persons. Duration: 85 minutes. Let the kids watch, and go have brunch.
• Noon to 4 — Dickens Festival Event Programming, Downtown Narberth District
• Noon to 4 — Crafts and activities—Swan Dancewear, and The Handwork Studio
• Noon to 4 — Hot Chocolate, Forrest Avenue. Buy a festival mug and get your first cup free from Lankenau Hospital (Look for mug deals in town for soup & drinks)
• Noon to 4 p.m. — Hot Toddy Tasting, Forrest Avenue (toddy glasses available). Buy a Festival toddy glass for 2 shillings - enjoy three complimentary toddies at local establishments (21+)
• 12:45 p.m. to 3:45 — Carriage rides, Essex Avenue Carriage Station. One shilling per rider; no American dollars.
• Noon to 4 p.m. — Trials before the Magistrat, corner of Forrest and Haverford avenues
• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Scavenger Hunt, Narberth Avenue Booth. Free scavenger hunt for kids of all ages. Start by getting a tin “beggars cup” at the booth on Narberth Ave, then follow the clues on the back page of this paper to collect wooden nickels and win a Dickens Festival prize.
• Noon — Horn’s Punch & Judy Show, Narberth Avenue Stage
• Noon — Ari Paul the Entertainer, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 12:30 p.m. — Ice Sculpting Demonstration, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 1 p.m. — Nutcracker Ballet and Reading PA Academy of Ballet, Narberth Ave Hill. Excerpts from the holiday classic “The Nutcracker Suite” performed by the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. Opened with a theatrical reading of “A Christmas Carol” performed by the kids from the Narberth Creativity Camp (Dickens Session) - a collaboration between The PA Academy of Ballet, The Handwork Studio, and Sweet Mabel Studio.
• 12:30 p.m. — St. Margaret's Carolers, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 12:45 — Men of Harmony, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 1:00 Waldron Treblemakers, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 1:30 p.m. — Horn’s Punch & Judy Show, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 1:30 p.m. — Flying Flea Circus & Medicine Show, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 1:30 p.m. — Ari Paul the Entertainer, Forrest Avenue (by Spots)
• 2 — Kingsessing Morris Men, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 2 — Waldron Treblemakers, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 2 — Nutcracker Ballet and Reading PA Academy of Ballet, Narberth Ave (“on the hill”)
• 2 — St Margarets Carolers Forrest Avenue (by Spots)
• 2:15 Flying Flea Circus & Medicine Show Forrest Avenue (by Spots)
• 2:30 p.m. — Men of Harmony, Haverford Avenue Stage
• 2:30 p.m. — Horn’s Punch & Judy Show, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 3 — Nutcracker Ballet and Reading PA Academy of Ballet, Narberth Avenue (“on the hill”)
• 3 — Kingsessing Morris Men, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 3:15 — Horn’s Punch & Judy Show, Narberth Avenue Stage
• 3:15 — Flying Flea Circus & Medicine Show, Haverford Avenue Stage

Get more information on the festival online here.