The Dickens Victorian Village expands on their annual tradition for the kids

CAMBRIDGE, Ohio – A 20-year tradition in Cambridge, Ohio expanded the holiday event with the first ever Little Dickens Day.

The Dickens Victorian Village event in Downtown Cambridge has decorates the sidewalks of Wheeling Avenue with mannequins dressed in a festive Victorian era style for the past 20 years and includes carriage rides, trolley tours, and era themed tea parties.

“We wanted to be able to expand what we’re offering. We’ve been here for 20 years so it’s time for us to offer new events and this was our first big event that we wanted to start offering this year,” said Pam McCauley, treasurer for the Dickens Victorian Village.

This year saw the creation of Little Dickens Day on Saturday. Children could see the petting zoo, decorate gingerbread houses, write letters to Santa and explore Cambridge through the Scavenger Hunt.

“I think it’s going great,” said Tebreigh Hollins, a Dickens Victorian Village board member. “I have been down and I did the gingerbread house with my little one. We’ve seen Santa and it’s been busy. We really have activities up and down [Wheeling Avenue] so that was kind of the goal. To not only bring the kids to certain locations in the town but to just go up and down [Wheeling Avenue] and enjoy our village and enjoy all of the characters. And then, to get into all the local businesses as well. So we really not only want to bring the Dickens to the children but we want to collaborate with the entire downtown Cambridge.”

For local mother of three, KateLynn Moore, the event was perfect for families who wanted to find a nearby holiday event to get children out and about.

“It’s awesome. I mean being local to home, us not having to travel to St. Clairsville or Zanesville and seeing our friends around town. It’s been awesome,” Moore said. “They really enjoy it and that it’s super cost effective for us. I mean it was like a dollar to come out and do all of the things. So, it’s easy. Something easy for all the kids to do and just kind of get out of the house and get to see what our downtown has to offer.”

While families of all kinds were participating in the first of it’s kind event, local business owners appreciated seeing new customers and excited children exploring their stores for possibly the first time.

“We love it. It brings us a lot of traffic downtown during the holiday season. All the people you get to meet from different states, the buses, we just love it. It’s a great addition to downtown,” said Sharon Klinect, owner of Ellies Cottage.

Dickens Victorian Village board members, Pam McCauley and Tebreigh Hollins have confirmed that the event will return next year. You can follow them on Facebook or visit their website.