Dickens z copy

Heritage Christian

members gear up for 'Dickens Village' Christmas extravaganza

With temperatures still reaching

up to the 80s, it's hard to get into the "holiday spirit."

But there are some local folks at Heritage Christian Church who, even

with the hot and humid weather, are having a Dickens of time getting ready

for their annual "Dickens Village," planned for Dec. 10-14 from

5:30-9:30 p.m.

Each December the grounds and

facilities of Heritage Christian Church near Peachtree City undergo a

major transformation from modern architecture to 18th century England

in the blink of an eye.

"If you believe that,

I have a bridge in New York I'd like to sell to you," states

Ramon Sammons who is the outside infrastructure team leader. "In

August I started getting the materials and work force together for a new

facade. Each year we add a new piece to the village and this is the largest

fa�ade we will build to date."

In reality, the work for this

year's Dickens Village started back in February.

"We begin in February

while the previous event is still fresh in our minds," says Shellye

Febrey, event coordinator. "That way we can improve upon the upcoming

year's stage production and visuals."

The "visuals" Febrey

refers to are the sets and props that make up the Dickens Village. A Main

Street runs through the village that consists of a variety of shops, hot

cocoa stands, and Georgia Chestnuts.

"We tried roasting chestnuts

on an open fire but this is Georgia," remarked Marion "Big Daddy"

Alley, "We found that boiling peanuts and calling them Georgia Chestnuts

made our guests a lot happier."

Street performers consisting

of minstrels, jugglers, and town folk mill about the village. Rory Stump

who teaches the dialect class for cast members says, "When guests

come to Dickens Village, the townspeople and other cast members portray

18th century English folk so when a guest asks a cast member to use their

camera to take a photo, our townspeople act as though they have never

seen a camera before. It's a lot of fun to watch the guests explaining

how to use it. Sometimes guests will ask several cast members to take

photos just for the fun or watching them all react to the camera."

Guests of Dickens Village leave

with more than just a good time. "Everything at the village is free,"

states outside operations director Julie Ballard. "Families can have

their photo taken in Dickens-style clothing, children can make toys or

ornaments, drink hot chocolate, eat our famous 'Georgia Chestnuts,'

and it is all free."

For those who feel they must

bring purses or wallets, there is a souvenir shop where guests can purchase

Dickens Village collectables at a nominal price.

There is a stage show each

evening in the auditorium and outside dramas and stage shows on 30-minute

rotations.

"A lot of activity goes

on all at one time, states Johnny Prettyman, who leads the worship and

arts department at Heritage, "There are over 100 cast members working

and performing simultaneously all over the place. It is amazing how much

hard work has to be done but how fun it is at the same time."

Hard work best describes Febrey's

role in Dickens Village. As event coordinator, she oversees every detail

of Dickens Village. "There are many talented people who make Dickens

Village a success each year," she says of the cast and crew members,

"And they are more than just talented. They are passionate about

what they do and are always prepared for last minute changes to make our

guests visit as enjoyable as possible."

For more information and show

time call 770-716-5768.

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