The annual Dickens On Main celebration would not be complete without bumping into the namesake himself, Mr. Dickens, during the festivities.
Thousands of Boerne residents, tourists and visitors wandered the streets of downtown Boerne this past Friday and Saturday, taking in the lights, sights and sounds — and snow — of the two-day Dickens On Main extravaganza.
Striking a pose along with Santa Claus are members of the Vincelette family: Ava, 17, left, Autumn, 8, and mom Laura. Santa set up his workshop at the Kendall County Courthouse and posed for photos with Dickens On Main revelers.
Star photo by Jeff B. Flinn Among those strolling around Main Plaza were a trio very distinguishable from the horde of holiday revelers. They strode in “period” costumes, occasionally stopping to take pictures with excited Dickens attendees.
Mr. Dickens, Mrs. Dickens and her sister — portrayed by Jay Pennington, Sarah Pennington and Elaine Palance, widow of Hollywood actor Jack Palance — have walked the grounds of many a Dickens On Main celebration before.
Jay Pennington said the couple moved to Boerne about 20 years ago after having grown up in the Comfort- Boerne region. He recalled their introduction to Dickens On Main as an almost magical experience.
“All the shopkeepers during Dickens dressed up in Victorian clothing and they gave out wassail, and it was just real magical,” he said.
But with each passing year, fewer and fewer shopkeepers were dressing up — spurring the Penningtons’ own desire to build on the tradition.
“So we dressed up, walked around and had a lot of fun doing it,” he said. And in so doing, they began to attract attention in their Victorian period outfits.
“After a few years, we appeared on the website for Dickens On Main and we were on billboards and posters,” he said. “So, we’ve been ‘The Dickens’ of Dickens On Main for about 15 years or so.”
Jay’s wife Sarah Pennington stands by his side as Mrs. Dickens. Walking around Main Plaza with the couple, also in Victorian clothing, is “Mrs. Dickens’ sister,” portrayed by Palance. All wear fashionable clothing of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” era.
The two women are partners in Saralaine Designs — a combination of their first names — and have made all their own clothing through the years.
“Oh, we change clothes all the time,” Sarah Pennington said. “We have had some people ask us if we’ll make their outfits for next year.
“The Chamber every year asks us to keep coming back and being The Dickenses, kind of being the mascots,” she added. Palance’s first visit to Boerne was during Dickens On Main weekend in 2006, about a month after her actor husband’s passing.
“She said she thought it was so magical she wanted to move here,” Jay said.
Palance will always remember that first visit to Boerne, in vivid detail.
“The first time I ever came to Boerne was the night after Thanksgiving in 2006. My sister and I came here,” she said. She said she was still in the process of mourning Jack’s death at the time.
“Some friends of ours took us to dinner at Cypress Grille. We went in about 5 or 5:30 p.m.,” she recalls. “When we came out at 7:30, I was standing under a snow machine, which I did not know was a snow machine. Everybody was dressed up, they were serving malt wine — it was just so bizarre, so magical, I never forgot that.”
When she decided to sell her ranch in California and move, she said she looked around “but I still had that memory.” So she came back ... and has been here ever since. “And it continues to be the most fabulous decision of my life.”
Comment
Comments