It was a tale of two cities…at least for the weekend, the town was transformed into two cities as the Brunswick Arts Council and Southport celebrated the first annual Charles Dickens Christmas Festival.
The street corners were occupied by volunteers and festival-goers in Victorian-era costumes as they tried to cover up the Southern charm of the historic small town. But few seemed to notice as the festival opened last Friday, drawing plenty of smiles and numerous curious onlookers. Even Scrooge looked happy as he strolled about town.
The events of the weekend included plays, monologues, carolers and plenty of top hats. The proceeds from the event are going to back into the arts and the event was an attempt to promote tourism and generate revenue. The festival also had some real charitable purposes as well. In the spirit of Dickens’ generous nature, volunteers were also collecting clothes and goods for the homeless.
Organizers are hoping this year’s festival’s success will warrant many more to come, citing, it should be a tradition. For details on last Saturday’s festival events, go to the Brunswick Arts Council website: www.brunswickartscouncil.org.
