by Noella Noelophile®
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
Somehow, trains and Christmas just go together.
Irvine Park Railroad is getting ready to celebrate Christmas season, 2014.
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
Tickets are now on sale for their nineteenth annual “Christmas Train”! This is a one-third-scale evening train to the North Pole. The “Christmas Train” begins running on Friday, November 28th, with additional dates through that Thanksgiving weekend and select dates in December.
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
In addition to taking riders (small AND big kids!) from a Christmas-lighted station for a visit (and a photo) with Santa, the “Christmas Train” travels through lit-up, historic Irvine Regional Park and its magical “Tunnel of Lights”. Trains run every fifteen minutes, and while waiting to board, visitors get to see “Santa’s Village”, with all kinds of activities–both paid and free. And if you get hungry, the Elf House Snack Bar will have pretzels, hot chocolate, coffee, popcorn and, of course, cookies, available for purchase.
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
Free events include story time with Mrs. Claus, picture stands and the Christmas coloring corner. Ice fishing, Christmas cooky decorating and Christmas carnival games are among the paid activities.
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
Children are encouraged to print out and fill in this Christmas wish list to share with Santa, and there’s also a Christmas coloring page they can download and color beforehand. You may either bring along your own camera and get a picture with Santa, at no additional cost, or you may buy one taken by Irvine Park Railroad.
(Photo courtesy of Irvine Park Railroad, and used with permission.)
Now–why so early a post? Well, like most favorite Christmas traditions, this one tends to book up fast! And please note, tickets can only be purchased online. According to Irvine Park Railroad’s website, once you’ve bought your tickets, you pick them up at the train station ticket window. Then, you can ride the “Christmas Train” at any time during the hour for which you’ve bought the tickets. Dates, times and more information are available here.
So, “All abooooooarrrrrrrrd!” and have a very Merry Christmas!
Irvine Park Railroad’s “Christmas Train” begins operating at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 28th. Activities open at 4 pm. The “Christmas Train” runs November 28th-30th, December 5th-7th, and December 12th-23rd; here is the schedule for times and activities. Parking is free after 5 pm. Irvine Park Railroad is located at 1 Irvine Park Road, east of Jamboree, in the city of Orange. Be sure to dress warmly, bring a camera and plan on arriving early to avoid crowds.