""These are individual chefs and family businesses that have been with us for, in some cases, since the beginning," said the fair's producer, Kevin Patterson. "Very few of them have actual restaurants. So for those, you can't get their food anywhere else.""
""It was an educational program to teach people a new way to help appreciate history," Kevin Patterson said. "And because they wanted year-round employment for actors and event staff, this was something they could do indoors during the winter.""
""It's the absolute best because it takes you back to being in England and experiencing fish and chips the way they should be," Patterson said."
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair runs each winter since 1970, with local actors in Victorian London costume recreating Christmas Eve of the 19th century for several weeks. The event recreates Dickensian sights, sounds and smells to transport visitors. Food is a central component, supplied by individual chefs and family businesses, many of which have served at the fair for decades and lack separate restaurants. Ron and Phyllis Patterson founded the fair in 1970 after starting a renaissance fair seven years earlier as an educational program that also provided indoor winter employment for actors. The fair has occupied the 140,000-square-foot Cow Palace since 2000, with sons Drew and Michael helping run the food booths. Long-running favorites include traditional fish and chips prepared by the original family vendors.
Read at The Mercury News
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