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𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓲𝓭 𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓴, 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓸 𝓯𝓪𝓻? 𝓘 𝓱𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯, 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓫𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓿𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 .𖥔 ݁ ˖༘⋆𐦍⊹₊ ⋆｡˚
𝓒𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓼: 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝓟𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷
Who is the best HBO War character? (round 3)
Doc Bryan
Brian Patterson
This is round 3 of the polls. All other polls in this round can be found here.
Superstore: ‘Lowell Anderson’ (6.13)
The Patterson Family, producers of The Dickens Fair are pleased to present the Marin Irish Festival; back by popular demand
For the two years and counting, the producers/coordinators of The Dickens Christmas Fair, Red Barn Productions are eager to establish a new tradition of The Marin Irish Festival which will be held this weekend at the Marin County Fairgrounds.
Based upon a long-standing Irish tradition called ‘Ceílí’ (pronounced KAY-lee) a social gathering celebrating singing, dancing and storytelling. ‘Ceílí’ is derived from the Gaelic word for visiting and company/companionship.
Along with the custom of ‘Ceili’ is that of the May Day festival known in Gaelic as ‘Beltane’ which celebrates the summer solstice and the start of the summer season. It is in this spirit of the ‘Beltane’ that the festival offers a full weekend of performances, hands-on cultural experiences, and family-friendly fun all rooted in Irish heritage.
“The Marin Irish Festival brings people together through shared traditions, storytelling, and celebration,” said event producer, Drew Patterson. “Whether you’re honoring your heritage or discovering Irish culture for the first time, it’s a weekend filled with connection, music, and fun.”
Festival-goers can explore six stage areas featuring live entertainment, including acclaimed Irish musicians, high-energy dance performances, a dance competition, storytelling, and a free children’s game area.
More than 40 craft vendors will offer handcrafted and rare goods, while food vendors serve classic Irish fare, such as corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and sweet treats, along with pints of Guinness, locally brewed ales, hard ciders, and soft drinks.
The Patterson Family which established the Dickens Christmas Fair and the Bay Area’s unique rendition of the Renaissance Fair is pleased that this Marin Irish Festival is back by popular demand.
The festival will once again host an authentic feis (pronounced fesh) - a fully sanctioned Irish dance competition in partnership with the Jackie Flynn Irish Dance Academy.
The Ceílí on the Lake Championships brings dancers of all ages together to compete for the coveted Champion of Champions title.
This year’s entertainment lineup includes renowned Irish music acts, such as The Black Brothers, The Black Irish Band,Avalon Rising, Ceol sa Cheo, Paddy on the Binge, and more.
Musicians of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate in open seisiúin (pronounced seh-SHOON) - open jam sessions - inside the Bearded Goose Pub, a relaxed, communal setting celebrating the shared joy of Irish music.
Beyond music and dance, the festival offers immersive cultural experiences, including:
United Irish Cultural Center (UICC): Showcasing the “Keepers of the Steps” exhibit and activities, along with hard-to-find Irish imports, including rare books and traditional salty and sweet treats.
Falcon’s Court: A captivating birds-of-prey environment featuring falcons, owls, and hawks. Guests will have the opportunity to meet these majestic raptors up close, with the option to hold them and take photos in exchange for a suggested donation.
Beginner Irish Language Workshop: Festival-goers can learn basic phrases and a poem or song (or two) at the Poet’s Corner.
Marin 4-H: An interactive and up-close opportunity to meet Marin County’s young agricultural leaders and the rabbits, chickens, and cows they expertly raise and show.
The festival marketplace showcases Irish craftsmanship, including jewelry, textiles, ceramics, artwork, and traditional goods. Returning favorites include the Bearded Goose Irish Pub, joined this year by a second pub, The Gander, offering even more space to enjoy drinks, music, and camaraderie.
And for those who want to do more than watching the formal competitions, festival attendees are invited to join open set dancing sessions led by instructors throughout the weekend.
Dancers interested in participating can learn more and register to compete at marinirishfestival.com/feis.
The 2026 Marin Irish Festival & Ceílí on the Lake Championships will be at Lagoon Park at the Marin County Fairgrounds located at 110 Armory Dr, San Rafael, CA
Festivities begin at 10 AM and continue until 6:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday, May 16–17, 2026.
Tickets are Available now at tickets.marincenter.org
Single day tickets: $30 adults | $15 children (ages 5–11)
Two-day weekend pass is available for $50 adults | $25 children (ages 5–11) Parking is FREE onsite and along the street. For more info visit the Marin Irish Festival website.
Have your own Marvel Rivals: The Timestream Adventure with the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game #comics #comicbooks #ttrpg #marvelrpg
Battleworld arrives in the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game with the Secret Wars Expansion. Variant cover gets a Gen Con release #ttrpg #marvel
A Remnant of ‘an art form’ lives on at the Dickens Christmas Fair
CGI - Computer-Generated Imagery is an $11 billion dollar industry. And, even as streaming services are negotiating to take over beloved television shows like ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘The Muppets’, the appeal of live-action puppet characters remains.
As Brian Patterson of the Dickens Fair explained. “It’s intriguing to audiences, especially to kids, because they don’t see live-action performances much.”
In addition to providing the ‘Punch & Judy’ show at the Dickens Fair, Patterson has done shows at libraries and in Golden Gate Park.
“Kids are so immersed in screen time with an electronic device, a screen is so flat,” he said.
The constant availability and presence of technology has made simple live entertainment less frequent.
Over the years, Patterson has noticed that kids (as well as others in an audience) are hungry for live entertainment and experience.
He and his team of Sarah Rice and Terry Mulrooney work together to present three shows a day at the Dickens Fair -- one in the morning and the others in the afternoon.
Not as well known here in the United States, Punch & Judy are more than an entertainment staple in the United Kingdom. “It’s an art form,” said Patterson.
“It’s part of English history and culture and a Dickens Fair wouldn’t be complete without a Punch & Judy or a pantomime show,” he said.
“‘Punch & Judy’ can be traced back three hundred years ago to the 1600s, and even further to the Commedia dell‘arte, in Italy,” he said.
Eventually, variations of the Commedia dell’arte spread across Europe. (Punch & Judy is one form of it) “It basically consists of stock characters, said Patterson, which are standardized archetypical characters.”
Costuming and exaggerated features for the characters evolved over time. This is so audiences can recognize and identify with the characters immediately, such as ‘the clown,’ ‘the thief’ ‘the lovers,’ etc.
In this case, the outline of Commedia dell’arte extended further with the marionette and later a puppet show.
‘Punch’ is derived from the character of Punchinello, in the Commedia dell’arte.
“He’s kind of an ‘Everyman,” said Patterson. “Yet more mischievous as he likes to play tricks on the other characters.”
Typically, Punch speaks in a distinctive squawking/squeaking voice, adding to the antics of a scene.
And usually, he’s “a henpecked husband.” “Judy as his wife is a foil for his antics,” Patterson said.
There’s no defined written script as like a Shakespeare play. “This was all handed down, from generation to generation,” said Patterson.
Much of the banter in a scene is between Punch his wife Judy and the other characters who interact with them.
In general Punch is the center of attention who faces obstacles to his gleeful antics.
Punch’s mischievousness occurs when he seeks ways to vanquish each obstacle. “He’s neither hero, nor villain,” said Patterson. “But like most of humanity, he learns to attend to things himself, usually when Judy after having enough, walks out or leaves on vacation.”
That’s how Patterson likes to present the show, especially to young audiences.
“This is when Punch learns to use his wits,” said Patterson. Even as the scenes can be zany, there’s a universal quality.
The Victoria & Albert Museum of London cites that…
While Punch integrated himself from Italy into Britain, a similar process took place in other parts of Europe. This resulted in Punch's European cousins; including Kasperle in Southern Germany and Austria, Polichinelle in France, and further afield, Karakoz in Turkey and Petrushka in Russia.
The scenes of a Punch & Judy show can vary and often lend themselves to improvisation.
Rice and Mulrooney serve as a "bottler" who corral the audience outside the puppet stage booth. They introduce the performance and help with the change of scenery and props.
The London of Charles Dickens’ day was familiar with a ‘Punch & Judy’ show, they could be seen just about anywhere.
The cast & crew of the Dickens Fair work fervently to recreate an authentic atmosphere of Victorian era London.
More than 800 performers take part annually at this holiday event.
All performers complete workshops in theatrical living history, characterization, dance, costuming, dialect, and more to prepare for 11 days of immersive holiday merriment. Both Brian and his brother Kevin and extended family are very proud of the work.
“It’s all part of the ‘emersion theater’ experience my parents Ron and Phyllis Patterson taught us,” he said.
Balancing historical element alongside a carnival entertainment atmosphere isn’t always easy.
And, competing for an audience’s attention amid an array of technological devices is a challenge. Still, the Patterson family endures to present something that an entire family/community can enjoy.
Punch & Judy were in Dickens’ time as popular as Ernie & Bert or Cookie Monster and Big Bird are on Sesame Street today.
Dickens does mention the puppet show in his works, like in “The Old Curiosity Shop,” and others.
Satire, farce and sarcastic humor often were mixed in with a scene. Yet as shows in the Victorian era were more focused on ‘moral values’ characters like ‘Pretty Polly’ Punch’s mistress, were omitted.
When asked which of the scenes audiences (especially kids) like the most, Patterson replied, the one with the Ghost character.”
Even though it’s not a traditional character that is used in in the United Kingdom, Patterson said. “I put the Ghost character in because of the reactions - the kids are excited.”
And, the Ghost character keeps it slapstick and playful with no knockouts.
This year’s Dickens Fair opened on the weekend of Nov 22, and continues weekends, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, until the weekend of December 21, 2025. To learn more visit the Dickens Fair website.
Photo by Rich Yee, courtesy of The Dickens Fair
