The annual Dickens Festival is one of many great holiday events in NJ

One of the many unique and wonderful things to do around the holidays in New Jersey is Medford's "Dickens Festival." If you haven't been paying attention, it was this past weekend.

To be honest, it's gotten a bit too busy, commercial and lost it's small town "Dickens" intent from when it started. This year was the 27th annual event, and in years past, it seemed more authentic and quaint. With the sound of generators and food trucks and the crush of people waiting in line for coffee, pizza and french fries, it's more like a carnival than it's original theme.

Still the reading and singing during the nativity re-enactment put on by a local church at the beginning of the Main St. event, keeps some of the wholesome feel. I'll still go every year.

It's a family tradition and I'll keep hoping for simpler times, but commerce and progress are hard to stop in our society. It's early in the season and there are plenty more events to get to before Christmas and Hanukkah. The good folks at Mommy Poppins curated a great list of holiday events you'll find all over the Garden State.

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