It Takes a Village Along with attendance, event participation has grown dramatically, with more than 15 volunteers helping out this year, up from three or four in 1997. These days, the Chamber doesn't even need to advertise for volunteers. They rely on past helpers to round up friends and family members who want to join the fun. While the efforts of volunteers have been instrumental to the growth of Kellogg's Dickens Festival, the enthusiasm of the town's retailers certainly can't be ignored. Local merchants lend a hand by decorating their windows and providing refreshments for shoppers during the two-day festival.
Some merchants even double as volunteers.
The Silver Needles, a local custom sewing business, provides many of the festival's Victorian costumes, and will even design and create costumes for festival-goers. All kidding aside, Waldo is delighted by the event's popularity, and urges other retail-starved communities, particularly those located near suburban shopping centers, to consider similar Dickens themes. Before getting started, she recommends a concerted fundraising effort to cover initial marketing costs, an outreach campaign to attract a core group of sponsors, and a serious search of the Internet to gather information and advice from Dickens pros in other cities. Click here for a history of Victorian events to contact for information and advice. I would like to know more about the Kellogg Dickens Christmas Festival.