Thousands of people are expected to come to Rochester this weekend for the Dickensian Christmas.

The seasonal festival celebrates the life, works and times of Charles Dickens.

Rochester High Street will look like a Victorian scene with parades, carols, a candlelit procession, Punch and Judy shows and wandering Dickens’ characters.

Children will also be able to meet Santa’s reindeer at the King’s Head car park between 11am and 4.30pm, on both days.

The lamplighter will lead the Seven Poor Travellers procession from the Victoria and Bull Hotel, at 11am, to Six Poor Travellers House where Dickens will entertain the crowds before the carving of the Christmas turkey.

Visitors will be treated to a reading of The Ghost of Christmas Past from A Christmas Carol at Rochester Library, at 1.15pm and 3.30pm.

During the festival, Rochester Castle Gardens will hold the second weekend of the Christmas market – check out the stalls from 10am to 7pm on both days. The main parade will be led by the Mayor of Medway, Cllr Stuart Tranter, and will start on the High Street by Almon Place at noon.

Costumed characters and performers will then go down the High Street, along the Esplanade, up Castle Hill before finishing on the Boley Hill stage.

A candlelit parade with also be held along the High Street onto Boley Hill before turning left at Northgate into Boley Hill to join the carol concert on the open air stage from 5pm. The concert will be lead by the Rochester Choral Society with music from the BAE Systems Brass Band. Snowfall is guaranteed.

There will be a park and ride bus from Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, costs £1 per adult, children go free and another bus free will pick visitors up from Blue Bell Hill commuter car park, off Lord Lees Grove. It costs £2.40 to park.

Medway community services chief Cllr Howard Doe said: “I would like to thank everyone who makes the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival possible – all of the performers, choirs, characters, volunteers, suppliers, businesses, venues and festival partners. Without their hard work, we quite simply wouldn’t be able to put on such a fantastic festival.”

There will be no trains stopping at Rochester station during the festival weekend. Visitors coming by rail will have to go to Strood.

Visit christmas.medway.gov.uk