Strolling costumed characters and carolers will once again transform Port Jefferson into a living Dickens stage for the 29th annual Charles Dickens Festival Dec. 6-7, 2025.

Presented by Northwell’s Mather Hospital, The Port Jefferson Arts Council’s popular holiday festival attracts visitors from across the country and around the globe who will gather to celebrate the beloved author and welcome in the holiday season.

Among the many events for the two-day festival:

  • The Charles Dickens Creative Study debuts this year alongside the Festival of Trees on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Village Center. This spectacularly decorated set is presented by State Farm Stephanie Sgroi Agency and features a photo-op with the four GIANT Christmas Carol ghosts
  • Santa will appear in his green-velvet chair to greet families at the First United Methodist Church of Port Jefferson on both days at Santa Claus Central.
  • On the second floor of the Methodist Church, above Santa Claus Central, will be Mrs. Cratchit’s Craftworks, an area where children of all ages can purchase and craft a holiday keepsake decoration.
  • Dickens Central will be located in the parking lot just south of West Broadway next to Kilwins featuring a giant walk-in snow globe presented by Mather Hospital, a Dickens Festival information table and a photo op area with Mr. Charles Dickens himself.
  • Tiny Tim’s Train Station (also Toys for Tots location), created by the Reed Family Train Project, will dazzle once again at the Harbormaster’s Building located across from

Village Hall on West Broadway. This location is sponsored by a consortium of businesses that includes Chick-fil-A and Salerno Brokerage Corp.

  • The Village will again be rich with our troupe of Dickens’ street characters featuring a series of street plays with Dickensian characters and carolers roaming the streets, presented by The Rinx. Port Jefferson will be filled with a host of musical, magical and theatrical presentations at the Presbyterian Church, the Harborview Christian Church, Christ Church Episcopal and the Masonic Lodge through the support of Stony Brook University.
  • Theatre Three will present A Christmas Carol, its annual signature theatrical event.
  • A Christmas Carol Radio show and concerts presented by Stony Brook Medicine.
  • Copperfield Hall in the Methodist Church featuring a spectacular array of performers.
  • Two parades will usher in the festival on Saturday at 11am and conclude the weekend on Sunday at 5pm.

The festival pays homage to Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870), better known to the world as Charles Dickens, who was arguably the literary superstar of his age. Ever the champion of the common man and the downtrodden, his inventive genius has inspired a raft of theatrical performances and a parade of films that portray the drama and redemption of life as a central theme. From A Tale of Two Cities to A Christmas Carol, Dickens managed to create some of literature’s most iconic and memorable personalities. We are proud to carry on this time-honored tradition with our Dickens Festival.

A complete listing of events and venues can be found at gpjac.org/dickensfestival