Frank and I were off on another road trip. This one to Wellsboro, PA which is about 170 miles north west of Fleetwood. It is almost to the New York state line, I have heard that Wellsboro is a cute little old fashioned town with gas lantern lights.
On the first Saturday in December Wellsboro has a festival called “Dickens of a Christmas “. Transforming into a Victorian marketplace, the town offers street performers, singers, musicians, craft vendors, food carts, a movie and a performance of “A Christmas Carol “. Folks throughout the town are dressed in era attire. I can’t wait to experience it!
We drove to Mansfield , PA which is about a twenty minute drive from Wellsboro. After we checked in our hotel in we went to a Perkins for dinner. It had snowed in the area several days ago so the ground was covered with about six inches of snow and it was flurrying as we entered Perkins.
Our friends Robin and Bill and Rick and Kim were joining us for the weekend, but would not arrive until later. Our group met for breakfast on Saturday morning, then we headed to Wellsboro. When we arrived in the town, I could see why everyone called it quaint. It reminded me of the small town in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
The town’s parking lots were full when we arrived, so we had to park at the high school and take a shuttle to town. There were lots of people walking the streets looking at hundreds of vendors like a church bazaar on steroids. It cost $200 to rent a space. Wow, I would have had to sell a ton of Bunny Brother books to make a profit The crafts we saw were quite a variety and unique, but it was so crowded that it was difficult to see them.
It was about 30 degrees as we walked along the streets. The tips of my fingers were cold and numb. The Episcopal Church along Main Street had performers singing Christmas songs, so we went in to watch for a while, giving us a chance to warm up. Of course, there were more vendors inside the social hall as well as food.
Throughout the town many folks were dressed in Victorian garb. There was a Victorian Stroll down Main Street at 2:00 pm and judging for the “best dressed couple or group” afterwards.
There were performances throughout the day of Dicken’s Christmas Carol in two different locations. Unfortunately, by the time we found the theaters, the shows were sold out. Evidently tickets were on sale ahead of time on-line.
On Main Street there was an old fashioned style movie theater. There were showings throughout the day of “The Man Who Saved Christmas”. The theater each year picks a Christmas movie. Since it was a hundred minutes long, we decided not to buy tickets. It the morning this might have been tempting just to be warm, but now it was sunny and warmer.
The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania is about eight miles out of town. We tried to go see it but the road to the visitor’s center was covered with ice. Not a wise choice, after all.
During WWII after Hitler invaded Poland, folks could not purchase glass ornaments from Germany. So they started making them in a factory in Wellsboro. Above is a box of Shiny Brite ornaments.
If you are a local and thinking of going next year to Wellsboro’s Dickens of a Christmas, I do have some pointers. Make you hotel reservations in January, since the area hotels sell out fast. Buy tickets for “A Christmas Carol” on-line or get them first thing that day. Ask where things are located. There was a trolly tour to Highland Chocolates, an indoor book sale at the library, and an art exhibit that we missed. (Frank was probably glad.)
All in all, it was an interesting day in Wellsboro. The town decked out in it’s Victorian finery with a coating of snow and its gas lanterns made for a picture perfect Old English Christmas village. Wellsboro’s “Dickens of a Christmas” is worth seeing at least once. Who knows? It just may be a warmer day, too!