Last year, my mom, grandmother, son, and I rode The Train To Christmas Town on its inaugural ride. You can read about our unforgettable experience here on the Piedmont & Northern Railway, which departs in Belmont, North Carolina. This holiday attraction is about a twenty minute drive from Charlotte. Since Christmas is now right around the corner, it is definitely time to make any last minute plans and I highly recommend riding The Train To Christmas Town with your family.
Following a successful first year, the heartwarming holiday tale will again come to life when the train departs for a one-hour roundtrip journey to Christmas Town. Guests are welcomed by the conductor and invited to board festively-dressed train cars, where they sip hot cocoa and nibble on cookies while listening as “The Train To Christmas Town” is read aloud by the voice of author, Peggy Ellis. Accompanied on the journey are Janet and her furry friends including Bumblebee the Polar Bear and Wabash the Squirrel. Guests join in for Christmas carols and nonstop surprises. Once the train arrives at Christmas Town, Santa climbs onboard and greets every child with holiday cheer, presenting each with a special Christmas gift. The return trip is filled with more carols, photo opportunities with Santa, dancing elves, and of course unforgettable memories! Families are also encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride. We forgot to dress Joaquín up this year, but will definitely remember next year, as this train ride has become a tradition for us.
The journey departs select dates until December 23, 2016 with times at 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $29/child and $39/adult. To make reservations or for more information, please visit www.traintochristmastown.com/northcarolina or call #877-421-0008.
The Train to Christmas Town is a custom holiday event developed by Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC based upon the book authored by Peggy Ellis, an experienced public school educator, mother, and writer. The book centers on Janet, a girl searching for new meaning in friendship, family, and Christmas. She relies on her brother and their woodland friends, as they make their yearly journey to Christmas Town. The train ride has a custom produced soundtrack by Grammy Award winners, Trout Fishing in America. The album features the theme song named for the event, “The Train to Christmas Town”. Guests can download the theme song for free just by sharing the link through their social channels.
The Premier Rail Collection is a family of passenger railroads across the United States that aims to bring the spirit of rail travel to a new generation and reinvigorate the love for trains in those that knew it in its golden age. Owned and operated by Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC, Premier Rail Collection is the nation’s largest operator of specially-themed and holiday rail events, offering a bounty of train adventures. The Premier Rail Collection is made up of:
- Cape Cod Central Railroad – Hyannis, MA: www.CapeTrain.com
- Eastern Flyer – Stillwater, OK: www.EasternFlyer.com
- Grenada Railway – Batesville, MS: www.GrenadaRail.com
- High Iron Travel – Chicago, IL: www.HighIronTravel.com
- Key Holidays – Walnut Creek, CA: www.KeyHolidays.com
- Mount Hood Railroad – Hood River, OR: www.MtHoodRR.com
- Piedmont & Northern Railroad – Belmont, NC: www.TraintoChristmasTown.com/NorthCarolina
- Pullman Rail Journeys – Chicago, IL: www.TravelPullman.com
- Rio Grande Scenic Railroad – Alamosa , CO: www.ColoradoTrain.com
- Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railway – Watsonville, CA: www.SantaCruzRailway.com
- Saratoga & North Creek Railway – Saratoga Springs, NY: www.SNCRR.com
- Texas State Railroad – Rusk/Palestine, TX: www.TexasStateRR.com
- West Texas & Lubbock Railroad – Wolfforth, TX: www.WestTexasPolarExpressRide.com
- Wisconsin & Southern Railroad – Middleton, WI: www.WSORPolarExpressRide.com
