The Great Dickens Christmas Fair 2026

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party returns to the Cow Palace Exhibition Halls in Daly City, California, for its 42nd season. Open on weekends from November 21 through December 20, 2026, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, the indoor event recreates Victorian London through live theater, costumed characters, holiday shopping, music, and dancing.

📅 Dates and Opening Hours

The fair opens on the following dates:

• November 21–22
• November 27–29, including the Friday after Thanksgiving
• December 5–6
• December 12–13
• December 19–20

Opening hours: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM each day.

Victorian London Inside the Cow Palace

The exhibition halls become a theatrical recreation of London during the lifetime of Charles Dickens. Costumed performers interact with visitors among streets, shops, pubs, music halls, and dance floors, creating a setting in which it is always Christmas Eve.

The experience combines literary characters and Victorian holiday traditions with live entertainment and opportunities to join the action. Visitors may wear Victorian clothing, although costumes are optional. Principal characters such as Father Christmas and Ebenezer Scrooge are reserved for the fair’s performers.

🎟 Tickets and Prices

Standard admission tickets are sold online only, with no on-site box office. The daily-ticket totals below include platform and credit-card fees.

Early Bird: October 16–31

Valid only for November 21, 22, 27, 28, or 29:

• Ages 13+: $45.62 total ($40 base price).
• Ages 5–12: $30.17 total ($25 base price).
• Under 5: free.

General Admission: On Sale November 1

• Ages 13+: $55.92 total ($50 base price).
• Ages 5–12: $35.32 total ($30 base price).
• Under 5: free.

Twilight Admission: Entry After 3:00 PM

On sale November 1:

• Adults: $40.47 total ($35 base price).
• Children: $25.02 total ($20 base price).

Pickwick Club Season Pass

$200 listed price includes all 11 days, membership, selected 10% merchandise discounts, and complimentary coat and parcel check. Parking is excluded. Passes are nontransferable and require photo ID.

Active Military Admission

Active military personnel and three family members receive free admission November 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29. Present active military photo ID at Will Call; no reservation is required.

Official ticket information and booking.

Holiday Shopping and Food

The marketplace brings together handmade gifts and Victorian-inspired merchandise. Products include jewelry, clothing, hats, ceramics, glasswork, books, maps, wooden boxes, candles, and leather goods.

Food stalls and traditional pubs offer meals, refreshments, and specialty drinks. The shops and dining areas form part of the recreated London streets, allowing visitors to browse and eat between performances.

Discover other historical festivals in California, or explore the calendars for November 2026 and December 2026.

Optional Experiences

Additional experiences include Port and Chocolate Tasting, the Jekyll and Hyde Pub Crawl, and The Dark Garden Corset Experience. These offer tasting, mystery-solving, and corsetry activities beyond the general fair visit and require separate arrangements.

📍 Venue and Parking

Cow Palace Exhibition Halls

2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, CA 94014

The venue stands near the San Francisco–Daly City border. Vehicles enter through the main Cow Palace entrance on Geneva Avenue.

Parking costs $20 per vehicle, payable to the Cow Palace by cash or credit card. Accessible parking arrangements and assistance are available; follow the parking staff’s directions on arrival.

📍 Approximate Road Distances

These approximate distances use Daly City as the destination. Mileage to the Cow Palace varies with the route and starting point.

• San Francisco: 8 mi.
• Oakland: 17 mi.
• Berkeley: 18 mi.
• San Mateo: 19 mi.
• San Jose: 50 mi.
• Sacramento: 93 mi.