Dickens Festival in Rochester taking place on June 1 and June 2
Costumed parades, street acts, competitions, readings and a fun fair will transform a Kent town into a Dickensian scene this weekend.
Rochester High Street is promising free fun for all the family at the Dickens Festival taking place across both Saturday and Sunday.
The popular festival is one of the biggest in Medway's calendar and pays tribute to one of its most famous residents, Charles Dickens.
At 2pm on both days will be a spectacular parade of Dickensian characters and Victorian costumes beginning at Almon Place through the length of the high street to Boley Hill Stage.
The stage will also host an entire programme of live music, dance and entertainment with everything from choir performances to shows from local performing arts students.
Younger children can catch Punch and Judy shows at regular intervals whilst the Kent Costume Trust will have a display of costumes and crafts from Dickensian times with an opportunity for children to dress up in reproduction clothes.
The traditional craft fair, with all the feels of an old time fair, will be selling everything from children's clothes to jewellery, china and home-made fudge and in the Castle Gardens families can get a taste of life in Dickensian times.
There will be kaleidoscopes and microscopes to view, a chance to visit the Insect Circus Museum and performances from Mr Alexander’s Travelling Show promising magic, balance and illusion!
Cllr Howard Doe, from Medway Council, said: “The Dickens Festival is one of the many highlights of Medway’s events calendar and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of residents and visitors to Rochester once again. We are proud to celebrate our association with Charles Dickens. There will be plenty of fun for all the family to enjoy including parades, live music and performances of Dickens’ works.”
For a full programme of Dickens Festival events click here.
- For more events to enjoy in Kent this weekend, including the World Custard Pie Championships and Monopoly Mania at a Kent park, click here.
