HOLLY, Mich. (WXYZ) — In downtown Holly, the holidays come to life in true Dickens fashion. Victorian carolers, costumed characters and local shops transform the village into a scene from the 1800s, drawing families back year after year.
The Village of Holly's Dickens Festival is celebrating its 52nd year and is now known as the longest-running Dickens-themed event in the entire country. This weekend, the streets will be filled with holiday traditions you won't find anywhere else.
Linda Stouffer, a Dickens Festival Board member, is one of the organizers.
"We have carolers that go throughout town and they actually go into the different shops and they sing and we will have a petting farm. We have the sledding hill. We have Tiny Tim's tent for the Santa and the kids," Stouffer said.
The event is put on completely through volunteers, donors and local businesses who have kept this tradition alive for more than 50 years.
"It is the longest running one of the United States, so it's huge, and everybody kind of gets into the spirit," Stouffer said.
From top hats to wool capes, many festival-goers come fully dressed for the part.
"They get dressed up and they walk around town just in their top hats and their capes and so forth and everybody just loves it," Stouffer said.
The tradition not only brings history to life, but it also gives the town's small businesses, like Holly Antiques and Creative Fashions, a much-needed boost this time of year.
"Triples to almost quadruples the amount of traffic that we would normally get on a weekend and for us that's very, very vital," said Robbin Yelverton, owner of Holly Antiques and Creative Fashions.
The festival itself began with just three local retailers hoping to draw shoppers into town. Five decades later, their idea has turned into a regional holiday destination.
Locals like Yelverton say there's something for every age.
"The strolling carolers, carriage rides, all of the various things that we do. There really is something for everyone," Yelverton said.
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