'Chaplin Days' Celebrates Charlie's Niles Legacy

The “Toothbrush” mustache; the evocative, puppy dog eyes; the signature bowler hat and twirling cane - these elements combine to create the man that symbolizes the birth of the motion picture - Charlie Chaplin. 

And no other place celebrates the life and times of this silver screen icon like Fremont’s historic Niles district with this weekend’s Chaplin Days, June 4 and 5.

Niles was once home to the Essanay Film Company for which Chaplin filmed what some regard as his most noteworthy picture - "The Tramp”.

You can catch “The Tramp” at 3:30 on June 5 at the event's epicenter, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, located at 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont. For a suggested donation of fifty cents. Other films scheduled for Sunday include; "A Night Out" at 11:30 am; "In the Park" at 12:30 pm; "The Champion" at 1:30 pm; and "A Jitney Elopement" at 2:30 pm. 

Chaplin Days has been around for “a very long time,” according to Michael Bonham, a volunteer guide at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum for over five years.

According to an informal poll of the museum’s volunteers on Saturday, Chaplin Days first began sometime in the 1960s. 

While much of the festival centers around the presentation of Chaplin’s films, there will also be other fun events taking place throughout the day. 

Kids can check out classic carnival games like the Bean Bag Toss and Cupcake Walk in front of the museum. 

Be sure to catch the Charlie Look-A-Like Contest at 2 pm where costumed competitors will see whose baggy pants, mustache, bowler hat, and cane combination most resemble true Chaplin. Winners will be awarded gift certificates to use in Niles’ businesses such as its numerous antique shops or restaurants including Bronco Billy’s Pizza Palace and Cici’s Italian Ristorante. 

For more information on Charlie Chaplin Days, call 510-494-1411 or visit the Niles Main Street Association website.