LAKE COUNTY – Lakeport City Council members could be seen lending a hand Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the Dickens celebration today. “We”ve got to get into the Christmas spirit,” councilman Ron Bertsch said. He fed a strand of large, white lights to a Lakeport fire fighter at the top of an extended fire truck ladder who was stringing them around a large pine tree on the corner of Main and Second streets.
The tree will be lit tonight following a 6 p.m. light parade and caroling led by Public Nuisance, a bluegrass group. Horses, antique cars and people dressed in Victorian garb will march up Main Street between C and Fifth streets. The parade theme this year is “A Dickens of a Christmas.” The grand marshals are Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce holds the parade in conjunction with the Dickens Christmas Market, a festival where people can be seen strolling down the street in apparel that looks be straight out of the 1843 Charles Dickens novel “A Christmas Carol.” The sounds of various entertainment groups performing on a stage across from Museum Park waft from speakers placed atop buildings throughout a blocked-off area spanning from First to Fourth streets.
“We don”t have a way gaging it (expected turnout), but we get calls from well outside Lake County. We”ve gotten calls from Southern California inquiring about the market,” Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director Melissa Fulton said. “This brings business not only to Lakeport but to the rest of the community and the county as people come in from out of county and drive to the Lakeport area.”
The event boasts 69 vendors this year, a record high according to Fulton. She attributed that in part to marketing outreach around Northern California, but mostly to word-of-mouth advertising.
“The reputation of the show has grown,” Fulton said. Vendors talk amongst themselves, and if they have a good experience they always tell other vendors. I think the show has established itself, and that vendors have come and had good experiences and enjoyed being in Lakeport.”
Lake County vendors will set up shop in the street side-by-side with vendors from all over Northern California as passers-by look for Christmas gifts. A treasure hunt that requires searchers to find the Dickens symbol at participating Main Street businesses will draw spectators inside to browse.
Whether or not people show up dressed the part varies, according to Fulton. But this year she said a new contest is expected to up the ante. It promises a $100 reward to the couple having the best Dickens costumes, the best individual Dickens costume, and the best-decorated vendor booth.
“We do know that some members of the Lakeport Community Players … may be showing up in costume during day,” Fulton said. She said chamber member Bert Hutt was discussing the idea with his fellow actors.
The event will include a Santa”s Workshop in front of the Lake County Museum, offering photographs with Santa, games, crafts and entertainment for children. There will also be train rides for the young and sleigh rides for the young at heart.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
