A Dickens of a Day at School

Friday, Central Cambria Schools,Bishop Carroll High School and Holy Name Elementary School

Our “Dickens” celebration offers the perfect opportunity to expose our students to the works of Charles Dickens. In the elementary schools it’s a day of storytelling. Storytelling is an activity that transcends generations. It binds people together in a warm way that never goes out of style. What better way to enjoy Dickens, a master of the art of storytelling himself, than through storytelling? Charles Dickens said, “Nothing of what is nobly done is ever lost.” We cherish this opportunity to pass these great Dickens tales on to another generation. The stories of Charles Dickens are suitable for young and old. In the middle and high schools students are provided with short stories by Dickens and excerpts from Dickens’ works.

Area schools will put the stamp of the Victorian era on the cafeteria’s menu with an opulent meal worthy of Victorian times and featuring traditional British fare that will maintain the Dickens Christmas tradition of feasting with friends. "Thank you, Mr. Scrooge!" Any reader of Dickens' story will remember that exclamation after Scrooge finds the Christmas spirit and purchases a goose to personally deliver to Bob Cratchit and his family.

Students are encouraged to wear period costume to school on Friday.

Courthouse Office Decorating Contest

Friday morning; Cambria County Courthouse

The decorating contest at the courthouse renews a tradition wherein the interior doors and county row offices are decorated for the holiday season. Winners will be announced during the courthouse tree lighting ceremony.

The courthouse is open to visitors all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and is a stop that the entire family will enjoy.

County employees are encouraged to wear period costume to work on Friday.

Tree Lighting & Wassailing

Friday, Noon; Cambria County Courthouse

Join the Cambria County Commissioners and county employees as they bring in the Christmas season at the courthouse with the lighting of the 30’ tall Christmas tree, positioned in the rotunda of the courthouse. The historic stained glass dome above the rotunda displays the Cambria County seal, and allows sunlight to fill the rotunda. County employees surround the open rotunda on three levels to sing Christmas carols.

Wassailing is the custom of going door-to-door singing carols with a wooden wassail bowl, in hopes of gifts of food and drink. Each region in England had its own traditional "wassailing songs." These songs all had the same theme: to bid good health to neighbors, friends, "kin and kinsfolk," and all the cows, horses, dogs, and apple trees within the village bounds. All the best for a Joyous and Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Gingerbread Contest & Display

Friday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm; Cambria County Historical Society

The entire community is invited to participate in our gingerbread contest, sponsored by the Cambria County Historical Society. While the contest is for entrants age 18 and under, everyone is welcome to display their own gingerbread masterpiece! Prizes will be awarded for most creative, most original, most artistic, most representative of Cambria County’s history, and best of show.

Entries must be dropped off at the Historical Society BEFORE Dickens Weekend. Contact the Historical Society for rules
(814-472-6674).

Join the fun and start your own Christmas tradition! Visit the gingerbread display during regular hours over the weekend.

Light-Up Ceremony

Friday, 6:00 p.m.; Kimball Park

This traditional opening of Ebensburg’s Christmas season is made bigger and better for the Dickens celebration. Enjoy a holiday performance of Christmas carols. The Mayor will proclaim the official opening of Ebensburg’s “Dickens of a Christmas”. Those attending will be invited to sing Christmas carols. Warm up with hot chocolate and enjoy a tasty treat. Immediately following the Light-Up Ceremony, stroll to your choice of holiday events, all in downtown Ebensburg. Choose to enjoy the Christmas concert at the middle school, join carolers about town or attend one of the holiday productions.

Period costume is encouraged, but not required.

Christmas Concert

Friday, 7:00 p.m.; Central Cambria Middle School Auditorium

Enjoy this celebration

of Christmas by local musicians. The concert includes performances by area high school choirs, church choirs, bell choirs and other local musicians. If this concert doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will!

Admission to the concert is five crown ($5.00) per person.

celebration of Chr

Cresson Lake Playhouse Holiday Production

Friday, 8:00 p.m.; Cambria County Courthouse

The Holiday Producation by Cresson Lake Playhouse is one of the favorite events during Dickens, and something you and your family will not want to miss. Check out www.ebensburgdickens.com later in the year to see details of this year’s production.

Call early to reserve your seats for this family production. Admission to the production is twelve crown ($12) for adults and five crown ($5) for children. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (814) 472-4333 or visit www.cressonlake.com.

Wassailing

Friday Evening

Got pudding? If not, it's time to stock up - especially on the figgy variety. Because if carolers show up at your door singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," be warned: They won't go until they get some. Some of the earliest carols still in common use today date back to the 17th Century, like "Greensleeves." By the 19th century, caroling evolved into a purely Christmas treat, spurred on by the work of Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol.

In Dickens’ day, there were special wassailing songs offered by groups of children (sometimes of the poor) out wassailing through their community. They were often composed by the singers and conveyed musical wishes for good-health. Of course one of their important purposes was the solicitation of special holiday drink, food or money. The wassailers customarily carried bowls of the hot drink, wassail, and offered sips to prospective donors. The practice of begging from door to door remained well into the 20th century, even in America. In the 1930s and ‘40s, New York City children dressed in ragged clothing and dirtied their faces, rang doorbells and asked for pennies.

Residents are encouraged to form their own caroling groups. It’s great holiday fun for those participating, and it’s enjoyed by the community. All “wassailers” are encouraged to dress in Victorian Dickens style costume in the spirit of the event.

Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Display

You have to see it to believe it! Experience Ebensburg’s small town charm during this holiday weekend. Stroll the streets of downtown Ebensburg after dark and enjoy an absolutely dazzling display of white lights. The holiday wreaths around the Victorian streetlights, the lights that illuminate every tree along the downtown streets, and the holiday displays in store windows makes Downtown Ebensburg truly magical. Be sure to visit Kimball Park, Penn Eben Park and Veterans’ Park at night for an outstanding holiday light display. Drive through Ebensburg’s neighborhoods and let our residents share their Christmas spirit with you. Their homes are adorned with lights and Christmas greenery. Throughout Ebensburg, smiles are bigger and arms open even wider at Christmas! If we’re fortunate, a blanket of white snow will add the final touch.

When Isaiah told of the coming Prince of Peace, he spoke of light dispelling darkness. The metaphor of light is central to our celebration of Christmas and its meaning. Christmas arrives again with all the promise of remembrance and celebration.

The following events will take place weather permitting:

Cross-Country Skiing

All Weekend; Ghost Town Trail

The Ghost Town Trail from Ebensburg to Nanty Glo is an 8-mile section of rails-to-trails that connects with 12-miles of trail to Dilltown, Indiana County! Walkers, joggers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers, etc. have the chance to experience scenic beauty at it's finest! The Ghost Town Trail will be open the entire weekend for cross-country skiing. There is additional hiking, biking, and cross- country skiing trails in and around Ebensburg, including around the reservoirs and Lake Rowena.

It is the best of snow; it is the worst of snow (to paraphrase Dickens from A Tale of Two Cities).

Sled Riding

Friday evening & Sat. and Sun. afternoon; South Cherry Street

Wait until you try this! An experience unheard of anymore today, actually sled riding down a borough street! South Cherry Street stretches for five blocks between Ebensburg’s downtown and the Ghost Town Trail. During certain periods over the weekend, it will be available for sled riding, weather and conditions permitting. The hill doesn't look like much from the bottom, but from the top, it screams "Sled me!"

It was referred to as “coasting” in Victorian England. American laws have greatly restricted, and in most places prohibited, the practice, once common, of coasting on the highways. But after all, what would a Dickens Christmas be without coasting?

Warning! Riders are cautioned of the dangers inherent in sled riding. Riders are encouraged to wear appropriate safety gear, including helmets. This is not a regulated event, there is no staff available to monitor the event, and riders participate at their own risk. The Borough of Ebensburg is not responsible for injuries sustained during this risky activity. Crossing streets are barricaded; however that does not assure safe passage. The ride is bumpy at each intersection. Quality sleds should be used. There may be vehicles parked along the route. Sleds that have difficulty stopping at the bottom will cross Prave Street to a parking lot, where there will obviously be parked cars.