Dickens on Main

We arrived a bit late (9:20 pm) on Saturday this year. Despite the event being scheduled until after 11 pm, most folks were leaving and things were winding down. Not nearly as crowded as 2014.
Fortunately, Boerne Wine Company was open and packed. We sauntered in and I picked up a nice stogie. We enjoyed the cool nights and strolled around listening to live bands and windowshopping. The artificial snow was fun. Finished with a yummy cup of hot chocolate from a food truck.

You know that feeling when you experience something cool for the first time and you turn into Buddy the Elf and you just want to tell everybody how great it is? That’s me with Dickens on Main.
How I had no idea of this festival before this year is beyond me. I love all things holiday oriented included but not limited to, Santa, reindeer, elves, snow (fake or real, don’t matta), big coats, pretty scarves, A Christmas Carol, hot apple cider, s’mores around a fire, tamales with chili and cheese, watching Love Actually for the first time. The list really could go on and on, and Dickens on Main pretty much has it all.
Over the course of two weekends in November and December, DOM brings the ruckus on all-​things holiday and Christmas. There’s a Dickens Village which transports you back to A Christmas Carol era, there’s horse-​drawn carriage rides along a bustling Main Street while «snow» falls around you, local bars and restaurants sell mulled wine, hot cocoa, and other delightful treats, street vendors and artisans sell their wares and put on shows — like the blacksmith, and there’s an entire area dedicated to kids. I believe that’s where you’ll find Santa himself.
I think next year I’ll plan an entire weekend in Boerne to enjoy DOM to the fullest. Not that the drive to and from San Antonio is long or painful, it’d just be nice to get away and enjoy an entire weekend of holiday festivities.

The folks running this place (along with many of the support staff I came across) were absolutely nice and very helpful! I enjoyed the fake snow (it’s south Texas, come on now… seriously?), the various entertainment, the blacksmith who I thought was faking creating stuff (he was serious!), the decorations, and just the general overall feeling of Dickens on Main.
They also offered horse & buggy rides although the line was super long. Someone was overheard saying, «Let’s go on the horse & buggy!» and the response was, «Are you kidding? Did you see the LINE?» The guys who spit fire (I have no clue as to what to call them… firestarters? eh.) were pretty cool too.
Parking wasn’t too horrible since I had gotten there a little early on and even though Main Street was blocked off, traffic moved faster than L.A. at rush hour.

Time to call a spade a spade: Dickens on Main is a mini-​country fair with some Christmas paint slapped on it.
This event has the everything-​and-​a-​candy-​cane-​sink approach that you often find in the summer months: Craft fair, petting zoo, live acts, etc. You’ve probably seen it before in other places as a lavender fest, October fest, rodeo fest, etc.
The parts that do set it apart (aka what the people come for) have grown a little too big for their britches. The lines — oh God the lines — for horsey rides and to get a glimpse at an old man in his nightgown scowling at you in a store window are unbelievable. Without some kind of motivation (aka kids), you can easily skip these parts and not feel cheated.
Just one last thing: Can we please stop with the «sexy middle aged Mrs. Clause»? I don’t mean to be rude, but we really don’t want to see it. Please put on some pants, or tights, or a longer skirt… please?
I know I’m not getting voted onto People’s Sexiest list, but I’m not running around in a mini-​skirt either.

I’ve found a new Christmas tradition — DIckens on Main in Boerne. Here’s why:
Parking: arrive before 4pm to get good parking. We arrived at 1pm to shop before dark, and parking was available everywhere. Main St closes at 4, so your car is trapped in if you parked there.
Fair Booths: some booths are great, others are so-​so. My personal favorite was the metal-​works station, where an old man makes sculptures out of scrap metal. There was a blacksmith, an organic body product stand, specialty foods and condiments, silver jewelry, tamales, gorditas, sausage, funnel cake, fries, etc.
Christmas Vibe: this was fantastic! There were children playing the violin and tuba, many elderly carolers, a few Santa Clauses, fake snow, twinkling lights, horse-​drawn carriages, decorations, and more. I wasn’t in the spirit before Boerne, and I left psyched for Christmas.
Food & Beverage: Did you know Boerne is an open-​carry booze-​town? Now you do! I like a place where, even though open drinking is allowed, no one is drunk and disorderly. I like a place where I can shop with a beer in hand at 3pm and get no judgment. I also like a place called Soda Pops in Boerne, where a Magnum Burger, Foot-​Long hot dog, and a bucket of Shiner costs $ 25.
Displays: The shows weren’t my cup of tea (one-​man Christmas carol, carolers, and ice sculpting), but I think that is mostly because I had been in Boerne for five hours at that point. Everyone was talented, especially the man who performed a Christmas Carol. Now I want to go read some Dickens literature.
Overall: This is a good festival to get Texans in the Christmas spirit. It’s worth catching!

Dickens on Main is an annual event held on Main St in Boerne, TX during the last week of November and the first week of December. This is the first year I’ve ever done Dickens on Main and I highly recommend it to everyone! I’m hoping that people will see this review prior to visiting next week as reassurance that it is definitely worth doing!
We went for opening night and had an absolute blast. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. When we were driving into Boerne as soon as we were about to hit Main St, we saw that the roads were completely blocked off forcing us to go in the opposite direction. Thankfully there was quite a few cars in front of us, so we were able to find parking just fine. We got there before it opened and it was already pretty busy to find a spot to park. I would assume as it gets later, it may be more difficult to find parking, so keep that in mind. Thankfully, Boerne is pretty small, so once you’ve found parking — it won’t take you long to get to the Main St.
Once we entered, we weren’t really sure where to go. We didn’t know where anything was being held or at what times. We ended up finding a brochure with a map and with the schedule of events on it, I’m not sure where you got the brochures from, but I wish they would’ve been more available so that we could’ve known where we were going.
Lots of things to do though. There was a Santa Claus (for free, you take your own photograph), there was a petting zoo ($ 3 fee per person), and lots of other great photo opportunities. The Main St was blocked off which was fantastic. Lots of people walking around enjoying the event. They had hourly snow falls from 6:30PM, 7:30PM, 8:30PM, and 9:30PM. It was really cute. Vendors on the street with hot chocolate, cookies, and beignets. There was also a few food trucks.
Overall, totally worth it. Keep your eye out for a brochure w/​the map and events (not sure where they are kept) and try to get there early to get good parking!