Given the imaginative backdrop of much of this year’s novel—dwarfs, giants, puppet theaters, waxworks, and circuses, to say nothing of the roadside card games—it’s not surprising that our Universe planners have come up with not just a dance for the Friday evening entertainment, but a full-on event called “The Curiosity Gala.” The event will be open to the public, with a $50 admission fee for those not registered for the Dickens Universe, and it is limited to people over 21. Intern Molly Bingham, who is supervising plans for the event, provides the following information about this special evening.
Friday, July 25th from 6:30-11:00 PM: College Nine and John R. Lewis Multipurpose Room, UC Santa Cruz (Directions)
Join us for The Curiosity Gala on July 25, 2025, as we celebrate the 45th Annual Dickens Universe Conference!
Now open to the public, this enchanting evening invites community members to don their finest Victorian attire and enjoy a night of lively entertainment—including Victorian dance lessons, casino tables, a raffle, postprandial potations, and a live auction!
Hosted by the Dickens Project, the Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of California—all focused on one or two Victorian novels, with this year’s novel being Charles Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop. The week-long conference culminates in The Curiosity Gala—a festive celebration that brings together conference attendees and community members. Purchases from the evening’s activities will support the Dickens Project’s educational programs.
Gala Details
- 6:30 PM: Doors Open
- 7:00-8:00 PM: Live Auction
- Bid on Dickens-related items, including a first edition of The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
- 8:00 PM: Announcement of the 2026 Dickens Universe Novel
- Purchase a copy from local bookseller Liz Pollock of the Cook's Bookcase
- 8:15-11:00 PM: Victorian Ball and Gaming
- Visit the casino tables or dance to nineteenth-century music performed by the Great Expectations Orchestra, with dances led by dance instructor Annie Laskey
Purchase Tickets
$50 for those not registered for the Dickens Universe, benefiting the Dickens Project's educational programs. Purchase Here (This event is 21+)
Questions about The Curiosity Gala? Email: mabingha@ucsc.edu
