Community members made their way to downtown Northport for the annual night of Victorian Christmas celebration and small business appreciation. The “Dickens Downtown” event, hosted Tuesday night in Northport, used the Christmas spirit to give back to the community and create Christmas magic for the families and businesses of the area.  

“It feels like a Hallmark movie. It’s a fun way to kick off the season, and it gets lots of people in here to see all that we do and what we have,” said Jenni Payne, an employee at Gracefully Done Interiors.

Throughout the evening, small businesses and churches remained open later, decorated for the season and hosted musical performances from bluegrass bands to saxophone soloists. The event encourages the community to engage with the small business scene whilst experiencing the Christmas spirit. 

“It’s great to be part of the community and help out,” said Kimberly Dunn, a volunteer for the Coterie Salon open house. 

In addition to the businesses, the highlight of the event is the historical demonstrations. A procession through the streets of downtown featured a uniformed soldier on horseback and a group of period women in ballgowns making their way to the Historic Shirley Place for the annual tree lighting. 

“We walk throughout the town to take pictures and give back to the community. There’s multiple shifts throughout the night for the tours of the historic rooms, so we get to hang out with the kids and spread Christmas cheer in between,” said Olivia Harris, a cameo volunteer with the historic demonstrations. 

Following the lighting of the tree, the Historic Shirley Place was open for tours, each room featuring a different cameo lady dressed in full ballgowns and ready to present the history of the town. 

“I love how all the people just smile and wave it up, and the children will come and give you hugs. We do a lot of service around the community, but this is one of the sweetest things we do,” said Sophie Messina, a cameo volunteer with the historic demonstrations.