“Christmas is Coming” is only one of the many songs that will be sung by carollers that you’ll find walking down the streets of Skaneateles every weekend after Thanksgiving. The Dicken’s family is a lovely group of people that are both young and old, who wear smiles and put on accents for your entertainment. The town of Skaneateles is transported back to the 1800’s, where you’ll meet the visiting Queen Victoria and the 10th President, as well as the many townspeople, rich and poor. You can talk to the children that walk about in fine dresses and bonnets or ladies in their wool skirts, cotton blouses and white caps. Even Charles Dickens and Bob Cratchit can be found walking about. If you say “Happy Christmas” to Scrooge he’ll proceed to tell you how unhappy it is. There’s free roasted chestnuts and figgy pudding to try, and carols to listen and sing along to.

      Of course, that isn’t all. Walking down the streets you may find a girl. She’ll be walking about in a gold-yellow over coat and heavy black wool skirt. You’ll find a sign hanging around her neck reading, “Touch not, taste not, handle not, the Unclean drink”. That girl’s name is Evie Copperfield and she is a young chambermaid, who is part of the temperance league. She’ll greet you with a “Hello” or “Good Day” often followed by a “Happy Christmas”. She’ll have a slight accent and a big smile. That girl is me. I play Evie, the temperance girl and maid to Tess O’Shay, Tavern and Inn owner.

      I always love to see the smiles people get, and hear their laughs as they pass. To see the joy and entertainment on people’s faces, no matter their previous mood always warms my heart. But what I love most, is dressing up and becoming Evie. Evie who isn’t afraid to talk to people, who bows to the queen and sings joyous carols, and sings in German, French, and even Latin.

       So come on down to Skaneateles and join us in the merriment and laughter. Come to the reveals down by the lake at two in the afternoon and sing with us. Join us as we do the dances for “Twelve Days of Christmas” or enjoy a carriage ride. Even the visiting children can play along, ringing bells while we sing “Jingle Bells” or when our own Bob Cratchit picks out a Tiny Tim from the crowd to yell out “God bless us everyone!” Come join the festivities and laughter from noon to four on Saturdays and Sundays.