When I was in upstate New York for Thanksgiving, we drove an hour away to check out a Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles, NY. The name is from the Iroquois term for the adjacent Skaneateles Lake, which means “long lake.”
The entire Skaneateles, NY was decorated for Christmas and the Dickens Christmas was in full swing when we arrived. There were townspeople dressed in period clothing and interacted with people as they walked by. It was so charming and definitely gets you in the holiday spirit! Below are a few photos from our day in Skaneateles, NY.
A Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles, NY
The celebration runs every Saturday and Sunday through December 23, from noon to 4 p.m., plus December 24 from noon – 2:30 p.m. Charles Dickens and his cast of over 50 characters interact with residents and visitors in the streets, stores, and restaurants.




One of my favorite parts of the day is gathering at the gazebo and singing Christmas Carols and hearing the characters interact with one another. So fun!
There are also lively acts at the Library, live music, unique shopping, wonderful food, and horse and wagon rides around the Village. For more information on parking, check out the official page.
The event was also extremely dog-friendly. We brought Gatsby along and they had water outside of stores for pups and people were petting and giving her treats left and right! You could also sit outside of restaurants and eat with your dog, but it was too cold.




For a list of restaurants and where to stay, check out Skaneatele’s official page.
It’s in New York State. It is located in Onondaga, Cortland and Cayuga counties.
Skaneateles means “long lake” in the Iroquois language.
It was a fun day trip from Rochester. You could spend half or a full day enjoying it.
Leave a Reply