The Great Dickens Christmas Fair Reimagined…

“Beginning this year we will celebrate more than the holidays - we will celebrate diversity.”

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2021 ~ In the 1960s, before Hamilton: An American Musical and Netflix’s Bridgerton opened hearts and minds with their multiethnic interpretation of history, Ron and Phyllis Patterson’s Original Renaissance Pleasure Faires (and later the Great Dickens Christmas Fairs) were magical gathering places for people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. The BIPOC community was represented throughout; from the artisans to the street musicians and even their Royal Courts processing through the streets, these Fairs were among the first to lead the way toward immersive, interactive, and deeply inclusive theater.

“My parents were artists and educators, they wanted to live differently, engage audiences differently, and educate differently,” said Kevin Patterson, Executive Director of Red Barn Productions and Co-Producer of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Beginning in 1963 as a workshop in their backyard, the first Renaissance Faire quickly evolved into a major fundraiser for radio station KPFK, whose progressive mission... More

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The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is presented by Red Barn Productions, specialists in historically authentic immersive events since 1963. Visit our website for all your creative event needs, large and small, and to enjoy a nostalgic romp through our Renaissance Faire history and galleries featuring our other original productions.

Red Barn Productions is an anti-racist organization. To learn more about our stance on social justice, and how you can help us work toward an anti-racist future, please visit our Community page.