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Dickens Christmas Show: A Victorian Holiday Experience Right in Myrtle Beach

For over 30 years Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has been home to one of the Southeast's Premier Holiday shows and festivals, the Dickens Christmas Show. This show is a major draw to the area, bringing in over 15,000 people to celebrate the season and to take in all the unique shopping opportunities. They transform the 100,000 square feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center into a Victorian Holiday paradise. The vendors are dressed in period specific holiday garb, holiday decorations fill the area, and live holiday music is being played by roaming Victorian-inspired musicians. This is a the ideal show experience for the entire family. There is literally something for everyone inside this one-of-a-kind event. Kids will love all the vibrant colors and activities that are geared directly for them like a live Santa and live animals to pet. Adults will enjoy all the various arts, crafts, and goods as well as off-site activities like Historic Tours, Victorian Holiday Teas, Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery Dinners and the world's largest drive through LED Christmas light show. Also, don't miss out on the wide selection of food and refreshments.   

 

The showrunners want everyone to have a great holiday-inspired experience, but another main focus on the Dickens Christmas Show is to promote charity. They give a good portion of the event  floorspace to true charities and take great pride in helping them increase popularity and raise funds. They feature many holiday displays such as trees, tables, and wreaths, all available for purchase with the profits going to deserving charities. We interviewed Myra Starnes, the President of Leisure Time Unlimited, Inc., about the festival and all holiday fun within.

 

RAL: Tell me about the event.

MS: This is the 34th annual Dickens Christmas Show. Many people have worked tirelessly to make the festival what it is today. The festival is intended to drive business to Myrtle Beach during the off season and to promote the arts in the area. We knew we had to make our event unique and not just another arts and crafts show. This is an annual holiday destination for thousands of the visitors.

 

RAL: Who attends the show?

MS: We do see all ages and backgrounds, but women comprise most of our visitors. It's a great location and opportunity for a women's weekend or group gathering. With so much to offer attendees there really is something for everyone that chooses to attend.  

 

RAL: What makes the event unique?

MS: We created a 19th century Victorian village setting that is based around Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. Everyone one is in costume and it resembles the hustle and bustle of an old time Victorian marketplace. The is a little bit of everything at this festival including arts, crafts, and gifts, most of which are available for purchase.  There are Victorian-themed entertainers who walk around the show. The show is inside, but it's set up to have the ambiance of an outdoor festival.

 

RAL: Take me through some of the activities?

MS: This year at Santa's Castle, there will be minature donkeys and horses. They are incredibly cute and fun, almost like playing with puppies. We have something for everyone no matter if you're on a day trip or looking for full weekend long experience. Our vendors are selling items like jewelry, toys, art, crafts, gourmet food, and holiday decorations. We have strolling Victorian musicians setting the mood with holiday music, tea leaf readers telling fortunes, Punch & Judy puppet shows, shadow box displays, and even a life-sized historic Santa. Last year we started Scrooge's Hunt for The Missing Presents, which was a massive hit with the attendees and gives a different level of attendee involvement.

 

RAL: What does the event mean to the community?

MS: One of the main purposes of the festival is to drive business into the local economy after the main tourist season ends. This is a great opportunity for local artists to get in touch with the community and sell their arts and crafts to people who might not normally have been exposed to them. It offers a way to sell their goods in a place that's not just an arts and crafts show.

 

RAL: Does the event support any special causes in the area?

MS: It’s very hard for true charities to get the word out and we wanted to help out with this problem. Over a third of the floor space is dedicated to charity. We feature the Festival of Trees, where christmas trees are decorated and sold with 100% of the profits going to help charities. All of the proceeds must go directly to helping the charities not for salaries or related expenses. It's not just about the money for these charities, but it's also for the amount of exposure that they receive from participating.


For more information on the event and the community they help support go to their website.