According to the train schedule, the first ride to Santa would depart at 5:00 p.m. But as a line of excited children and adults, bundled up against the winter breeze, started forming at the gate outside the Rotary Village Railway Station just before 4:00 on Saturday evening, that schedule was thrown out the window.
A Portage Flyer Christmas, which carries believers young and old to a visit with Santa, draws well over a thousand visitors every year.
“The event is so special that I had to come up with a name for it and so the event is truly ‘supermagicated,'” said Ron Gostlin, Manager of Muskoka Hertiage Place. “When you combine a train covered in a thousand coloured lights, winter, Christmas and Santa Claus what else do you need? I say it’s our one day of the year where we give Walt Disney a run for his money!”
Visitors were met at the gate with free hot chocolate and sugar cookies, provided by Huntsville High School Hospitality and Tourism students, to enjoy while they waited to purchase their tickets for the short, festively lit train ride to see Santa and tell him their side of the story. Christmas carols broke out as people waited and the energy of the crowd was electric even as the sun set and temperatures dipped below -10ºC.
For first-timer Dawson Menard, getting to take a train to see Santa made the experience exceptional. “This is the first year that he really ‘gets it’; he’s excited to see Santa,” said his mom, Casey Menard. “Our boy is a train lover, so seeing the train all lit up made his night!”
For some, A Portage Flyer Christmas is a yearly tradition. They come prepared with warm blankets tucked under their arms and extra snacks in case the wait is a long one.
The Mangaroff family is no exception. “We come every year,” says Kim Mangaroff. “The kids insist we always come. It’s our family tradition.”
Santa’s helpers serve hot chocolate and cookies
Doug Austin (right) helped people file onboard
Greg the Engineer saw people safely to and from their visit with Santa
Olivia Turney visits Santa
With so many volunteers, and so many moving parts, Gostlin and his team make it look easy, creating a magical experience for everyone. “It’s one day, one evening and it’s all worth it to see the faces on the kids and adults alike,” he said.
Did you take the train to see Santa? Tell us what you asked the big guy for in the comments!
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Its just soooo much fun.
If you missed it, mark your calendar for the last Saturday before Christmas.
Dress warm, come early.
Bring the child in you…
Merry Christmas !