Shenandoah is kicking off the holiday season today with Charles Dickens and his holiday grouch Ebenezer Scrooge.
A Dickens Christmas will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Legion Memorial Garden in the 100 block of North Main Street. The event is sponsored by Downtown Shenandoah Inc. and is free to the public.
The annual festivities get under way with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the garden. The singing of Christmas carols will commence during the lighting ceremony, in which the crowd is encouraged to join.
The event also includes horse-drawn trolley rides and music by the Shenandoah Valley Brass Band. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available at the Anthony P. Damato American Legion "Medal of Honor" Post 792.
"It is DSI's way of saying thank you to the community for supporting us throughout the year," Mary Luscavage, DSI executive director, said.
The main feature, and namesake, of the event is vignettes of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The performance is held by local actors and former and current students from Shenandoah Valley High School. The performers are dressed in period costume to bring the classic holiday tale to life.
"They have been doing it for years," Luscavage said.
"A Christmas Carol" tells the story of greedy, cold-hearted Scrooge, who learns the meaning of the Christmas spirit through visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. The novella continues to be a Christmas favorite since being published in 1843.
DSI, the downtown revitalization group, has hosted the event since 2005. Last year's event was moved indoors by the threat of rain. According to the National Weather Service, clear skies are expected today with a high near 28 and a low of 13.
Luscavage said the event draws about 500 people. She said the trolley rides are a popular attraction. The rides, which run for about 2 hours, can hold a group of riders at a time.
"It's crowded all the time," she said.
The annual event is always held on Black Friday and coincides with the borough's Santa Drop.
Scheduled for noon today, the annual "drop" features Santa Claus parachuting into Shenandoah Valley's Veterans Memorial Stadium. The event is sponsored by Ateeco Inc., Shenandoah.
For more information on Dickens Christmas, visit DSI's website, www.downtownshenandoah.com, or call 570-462-2060.