2008-09 HOLIDAY SEASON SPECIAL EVENTS

To enhance your visit and experience of the Dickens Victorian Village and the Cambridge area, we hope you can schedule your visit to include one or more of the exciting celebrations, performances and events listed below that will enrich your senses with the sights, sounds, and activities that evoke the Dickens era.

We hope you enjoy your experience, and create memories to last a lifetime!

Last updated Jan. 1, 2008.
2008-09 EVENTS AND DETAILS WILL BE POSTED AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. Events from the 2007-08 season are kept posted below as examples.

Father Christmas might be seen strolling Wheeling Avenue during Peddler Weekends.

The landmark Guernsey County Courthouse is the centerpiece of
downtown Cambridge, Ohio, and the Dickens Victorian Village display
opening ceremonies.

Downtown Cambridge features eclectic shopping, striking architecture,
and the Dickens Victorian Village display November through January.

VISITOR INFORMATION

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2007-08 PAST EVENTS

Great Expectations Chocolate Walk

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wheeling Avenue, downtown Cambridge, Ohio

Be one of 200 lucky ticket holders to participate in the Great Expectations Chocolate Walk! Exchange your ticket for a Dickens Victorian Village bag and a walking tour brochure that will direct you to downtown participating merchants, where you will receive one chocolate experience at each location -- perhaps it will be a serving of hot chocolate, or a brownie, or a chocolate cordial. Enjoy some on the walk, or place some in your souvenir bag to enjoy later.

Only 200 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $10 each and are available at Country Bits & Pieces, 700 Wheeling Ave. Proceeds benefit the Dickens Victorian Village project.

Ticket holders pick up their bag the evening of the walk at Peoples Bank downtown, where you will enjoy your first chocolate experience at the chocolate fountain in the bank lobby. 740-432-8789.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS CHOCOLATE WALK POSTER

Victorian Views Through the Eyes of Youth

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 – 11 a.m.
653 Wheeling Avenue, downtown Cambridge, Ohio

Join area art students for the unveiling of beautifully transformed arched windows that reflect an inside view of Victorian home life, creating the sense that you are peeking inside six homes from long ago.

These scenes, painted on wood and set into bricked-in windows, were created by middle and high school art students from Cambridge, Meadowbrook, Caldwell, and Buckeye Trail schools.

The artwork will be displayed through Jan. 21, 2008.

Peddler Weekends and Rotary Square
Featuring heritage artisans, peddlers, and horse-drawn wagon rides

Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Along Wheeling Avenue, Cambridge, Ohio


New for the 2007 season is the Rotary Square, a small but life-sized Dickens Village on the Courthouse lawn modeled after shops from Charles Dickens' stories. During Peddler Weekends, this arts and crafts village will feature heritage artisans dressed in period clothing selling their wares, including wooden toys, pine wreaths, chocolate, holiday crafts, and more. Click here for the full schedule of artisans.

Also during Peddler Weekends, nonprofit groups will be strolling Wheeling Avenue as peddlers selling yummy treats like hot chocolate, cider, candy apples, baked goods, fudge, caramel corn, popcorn and candy, in authentic looking peddler's carts, adding a lively atmosphere to the Dickens Victorian Village display and offering a great time for the entire family to enjoy downtown.

Old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon rides will be available every Saturday (weather permitting) during Peddler Weekends beginning at 10 a.m. A costumed guide will greet visitors at the Courthouse lawn and assist visitors in boarding the wagon driven by Bob Hendershot, a local favorite. He and his team of beautiful draft horses will take riders to the Gingerbread House Contest display (open until noon) at the Cambridge Classic Ford showroom and back.

Rides are offered by donation, and may run as late as 1 p.m. based on interest.

Don't forget your camera! Photo opportunities abound, and you can also capture your smiling face in a Victorian character cutout as a memento of your Dickens experience!

Times Past Vintage Dancers

Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007 – 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Masonic Lodge Ballroom (above Dollar General), 730 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge

History comes alive as a Columbus dance troupe demonstrates vintage dances in an educational presentation that includes audience participation! Parking and entrance to the ballroom are available from Turner Avenue. Dancers will stroll among the Dickens Victorian Village display between performances.  Free. 740-432-8789.

Gingerbread House Contest Display

Monday, Nov. 19, 2007 through Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008
Cambridge Classic Ford showroom
1023 Wheeling Avenue, downtown Cambridge, Ohio

Gingerbread houses are a delight for all ages! Come see what our local gingerbread artisans have created for the Gingerbread House Contest, with categories including youth, teen, and adult, and a special People's Choice award. And, look closely, not all gingerbread houses are houses! Imaginative dwellings of all types are made entirely of edible materials. Free.

CONTEST RULES

CONTEST ENTRY FORM

CONTEST POSTER

Deadline to enter is Monday, Nov. 12, 2007

Lighting of the Courthouse and
Dickens Of A Holiday Parade

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 – 5 p.m.
Wheeling Avenue, downtown Cambridge, Ohio

Beginning at 5 p.m., watch the candle lighting ceremony and annual lighting of the historic Guernsey County Courthouse. More fun follows at 6 p.m. with the much-loved holiday parade sponsored by Cambridge Main Street. This year's parade theme is "A Dickens Of A Holiday," and features Father Christmas, lighted floats, bands, a visit from Santa, and more! Free. 740-439-2238.

Cambridge City Band Concert

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Scottish Rite Theatre, 941 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Ohio

This seasonal favorite will be performed in historic downtown Cambridge following the Dickens Of A Holiday Parade.
Free. 740-439-5551.

The Spirit Of Christmas

Friday, Nov. 23, 2007 – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007 – 2 p.m.
Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center
7033 Glenn Highway, Cambridge, Ohio (Route 40 west of Cambridge)

"The Spirit Of Christmas" is a special family presentation for the greatest season of them all. This even promises to be an evening filled with music, singing, dance and fun.

Tickets will be available at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center box office. 740-439-7009. $12.00 adults, $10 students.

National Museum of Cambridge Glass

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007 – noon to 4 p.m.

136 S. Ninth Street, Cambridge, Ohio

The National Museum of Cambridge Glass will be open for special winter hours in celebration of the Dickens Victorian Village holiday season.

The museum features 6,000 pieces of glassware made by the Cambridge Glass Company, with an interpretive area demonstrating how glass was made from gathering, shaping, etching, and engraving.

The Sample Room features the door and shelving from the original factory, and a dining room display features glass table settings arranged on period furniture much as it would have appeared in the early 1900s.

Guests can do their own rubbings from original etching plates in the Education Center, and view a movie made in the 1940s by the Cambridge Glass Company. The gift shop features small glass items and books.

For more information visit www.cambridgeglass.org.

$3.00 general admission; $2.00 seniors and AAA; free for children under 12. 740-432-4245.

“A Christmas Carol”

Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 – 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 – 2 p.m.
Cambridge Performing Arts Centre, 642 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Ohio

Enjoy this timeless classic as our local actors perform this Charles Dickens play at the historic Cambridge Performing Arts Centre in downtown Cambridge. $10.00 adult; $8.00 senior (65 and older) and students (18 and younger); children (5 and under) free. 740-432-7958 or 740-435-8777.

Byesville Scenic Railway
“Spirit of Christmas” train ride

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Departs downtown Byesville, Ohio (off Route 209 just south of
Cambridge)

A Coal Miner's Christmas: Learn how coal miners and their families celebrated the holiday season through a dramatic presentation performed while riding a vintage train in the Appalachian foothills. Refreshments served for donation. $10.00 adult, $7.00 children ages 3-12, children under 3 free.

Please see www.bsrw.org for complete information, including directions.

In addition to the public schedule, special tour group rides can be arranged by contacting Woody Biggs, 800-688-3116.

High Tea and Tour at the Colonel Taylor Inn

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 –  1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Colonel Taylor Inn Bed & Breakfast, 633 Upland Road, Cambridge, Ohio

Step back in time and experience a little history as you enjoy an elegant tea and tour of the Colonel Taylor Inn, an elaborate and well-preserved Victorian mansion filled with authentic furniture and wares from the period. Includes a  visit with Santa. See the Christmas tree elegantly decorated in the grand foyer. Tour guides dressed in costume will give a history tour throughout all three floors decorated for the holidays. Entertainment provided. This event is a benefit for Haven Of Hope.

$10.00 adult, $5.00 child. 740-432-7802.

Dan Zola Orchestra

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 –  3 p.m.
Scottish Rite Theatre, 941 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Ohio

Northern Ohio's premier dance band has been pleasing dancing and listening audiences since 1962. This 19-piece Big Band is steeped in the tradition of the famous swing and dance bands. Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Les Brown, Harry James, Ellington and Sinatra are just a sampling of the many authentic sounds that will be featured. Whether it's swing, Latin, waltz or fox trot, this band has the arrangements that bring back the nostalgia of the Big Band era that has thrilled countless audiences over the past decades.

$15.00. Tickets available at the door. Group discounts available. For more information, contact Dick Buschieb at 740-432-2815.

“Gloria”

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 – 3:30 p.m.
Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra
Brown Chapel, Muskingum College campus, New Concord, Ohio (just west of Cambridge)

Join the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra and Maestra Laura Schumann in their performance of John Rutter's wonderful and well-known "Gloria," performed with the Muskingum College Choral Society.

$10.00. 740-704-2422.

"Babes In Toyland"

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007
Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center
7033 Glenn Highway, Cambridge, Ohio (Route 40 west of Cambridge)

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Victor Herbert's timeless musical classic, "Babes in Toyland," weaves fantasy and reality for the entire family in an exploration of generations at odds.

 As the musical opens, we join a young brother and sister who, feeling misunderstood and disciplined too harshly, have run away from home. In Toyland -- a world of walking, talking toys -- they meet the kindly Toymaker who reminds the children they now inhabit a fantasy world.

However, Pinkerton, a detective hired by the family to bring the children home, has other plans for the children. He wants their help in stealing the Toymaker's plans for mass produced soldiers.

The lessons of love and respect are rediscovered as we follow the children's adventures.

Tickets will be available at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center box office. 740-439-7009.  $10.00 adults, $8.00 students.

Holiday Tour Of Homes

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cambridge, Ohio

Tour some of the most lovely homes, businesses and churches in our area, all beautifully decorated for the holidays. This event is sponsored by the Old Cambridge Conservation Association.

Tickets are available at Orme Hardware, 134 N. 11th St.; Penny Court, 637 Wheeling Ave.; De'Brook Aroma, Wheeling Ave.; and the Towne House, 738 1/2 Wheeling Ave.

$10.00. 740-439-3501.

Dickens Evensong Service and Feast

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 –  beginning at 5 p.m.
St. John's Episcopal Church, 1025 Steubenville Ave., Cambridge, Ohio
Unity Presbyterian Church, 130 N. 7th Street, Cambridge, Ohio

Celebrate a traditional Boar's Head parade and dinner based on ancient English and Celtic origins.

Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with pre-service music at St. John's Episcopal Church, followed by the ecumenical service at 5:30 p.m. A fiberglass boar's head will be marched in on a pike, symbolizing early pagan and Christian traditions of a successful harvest celebration.

The Evensong Service at St. John's Episcopal Church is based on daily evening prayer traditions from about 1780 A.D.

After the service, bagpiper Allen Day will lead the processional with the boar's head in the lead to the Unity Presbyterian Church where the traditional fancy dinner feast will be held at  7 p.m.

Each course of the Boar's Head Feast will be announced by a trumpet fanfare, and will consist of traditional food from the Dickens era, featuring roast pork, chicken in a tart cherry sauce, parsley roasted potatoes, honey glazed carrots, pickled cabbage and root vegetables, hefty round loaf with butter, and fruited butter cake with a hard sauce.

This scrumptious feast will be served by people dressed in Victorian period clothing.

Diners will be entertained with a variety of period music styles like Celtic and Renaissance music, along with dancing, during and after the feast.

The evening's entertainment includes the Valley Renaissance Consort, Phi Mu Alpha Sorority, Sinfonia Fraternity, the Keltic Society, the Muskingum College Brass Quartet, and Dick Pavlov.

For more information, call 740-439-4398.

Tickets available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Attic Trunk Treasures, 705 Wheeling Ave., and at the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce, 918 Wheeling Ave., both in downtown Cambridge.

$30.00 for Boar's Head Feast. Evensong Service is Free.

Holiday Cheer Art Auction

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 6 p.m.
Mid-East Career & Technology Center, Buffalo Campus
57090 Vocational Rd., Senecaville (Buffalo), Ohio

Featuring works of art by the region's finest artists, many of them members of the Eastern Ohio Art Guild, creators of the Dickens Victorian Village mannequins. Hors d'oeurves, beverages, and music will be provided. Brought to you by the Commercial Art Class at Mid-East Career & Technology Center, Buffalo Campus.

$10.00. 740-685-2516.

“Christmas With The Cambridge Singers”

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007 – 3 p.m.
Scottish Rite Auditorium, 941 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Ohio

For 43 years, the Cambridge Singers have brought music to their community and throughout Ohio, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Ring in the holidays and fill your heart with the spirit of "Christmas With The Cambridge Singers" directed by James Whitehair. This exciting performance includes a blend of energetic choreography, colorful set designs and costumes, melodic narration, and beautiful Christmas music.

$5.00. 740-435-0099, or email Jim Whitehair.

New Year’s Eve Gospel Sing

Monday, Dec. 31, 2007 – 7 p.m.
Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center, 7033 Glenn Highway, Cambridge, Ohio (Route 40 west of Cambridge)

The 13th annual Gospel Sing is sponsored by the Guernsey Gospel Jubilee Association.

Free. 740-432-3787.