Dickens returns to a recovering Galveston

This weekend's Dickens on The Strand is Galveston's first major event since Hurricane Ike struck in September, and could indicate how quickly this island city can revive its vital tourism industry.

The 35th year of the festival, which recreates the 19th century with period costumes, also is an attempt by Galveston businesses to let the outside world know that most of its restaurants and hotels and many of its attractions are up and running.

We're going down for the day. I've posted about our prior trips here. There's a Chris Bell event in Galveston County at lunchtime on Saturday, and then we'll spend a few hours at one of the best street festivals in Texas before returning to Houston.

Despite the strain, all 130 vendors and booths will return along with 50 entertainment groups, said Dwayne Jones, foundation executive director.

The storm cost the foundation about $6 million in damage to its historic properties and lost revenues, Jones said, forcing it to cut in half its usual budget of $150,000 to $200,000 for Dickens on The Strand.

The foundation also had to lay off 40 of its 70-member staff and lost much of its Dickens equipment to the storm surge, he said. ...

Storm water fouled the 500 lamps that are normally scattered throughout the festival area at night, forcing the event to close three hours earlier than normal Saturday, Jones said.

Dickens on The Strand will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, he said.

The event is usually within a 10-block area between 20th Street and 25th Street on The Strand and Mechanic Street, but this year it will be limited to The Strand, Jones said.

The Galveston Historic District was inundated by more than 10 feet of sea water that left floors caked with slimy mud and store interiors in shambles.

The Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens is up and running, though also smaller:

Hurricane damage forced Moody Gardens to alter and slightly shorten the path of lights and reduce the number of exhibits from 100 to about 75, said Moody Gardens spokeswoman Jerri Hamachek.

The Festival of Lights is open Thursday through Saturday through Dec. 17 and nightly Dec. 18-31. Tickets have been reduced $2 to $3.95, she said.

Jones is expecting about half as many visitors to Dickens on The Strand this year because of the ailing national economy and the perception that nothing is open in Galveston because of the storm. Online ticket sales are less than half of last year's tally, but most of the proceeds are from gate sales anyway, he said. About 32,000 tickets were sold last year.

Gaskins said Galveston hotels were nearly full and only about 50 rooms were left on the entire island as of Thursday because of bookings for Dickens on The Strand and company Christmas parties.

Hamachek said the Festival of Lights drew about 5,000 visitors Thanksgiving weekend, about half as many as last year, but described it as a good showing considering the storm and the economy.

Several companies donated services, such as portable bathrooms, and 15 of the 17 entertainers have agreed to forgo their usual fee, Jones said.

There would be no better way to give Galveston a hand up than to pay them a visit this weekend (and drop a little coin).