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All aboard! I heard that the VRE Santa was a much anticipated holiday event in the DMV area and that tickets sell out within minutes. So I felt incredibly lucky that I was able to get tickets the first year I tried. The tickets went on sale at 9:00am on Monday, November 24th. I went through the preschool drop off line at 8:55am and then pulled over to the side of the road. I pulled out my iphone and got on the VRE website at exactly 9:00am and after a couple clicks I had secured tickets for my family. The tickets were just $6 online or $5 at the stations and the trains ran from four different stations – Fredericksburg, Manassas, Woodbridge, and Burke Center. The tickets were mailed to our house within a few days.

We hit some beltway traffic so we arrived at the station just a couple minutes before the scheduled departure time. We hurried onto the train just in time but it was perfect that we didn’t have to wait long before the train started to move. About 30 minutes into our ride, Santa made his appearance in our train car. He greeted all the children and stopped for photos. Little Miss Mae wouldn’t get close to him but Clara was happy to tell him what she wanted for Christmas.

A spirited Mrs. Claus was just behind Santa and she sat down to chat with Clara for several minutes. Mae was just as leery of Mrs. Claus.

Helper elves passed out Operation Lifesaver railroad safety information coloring books, colored pencils, and candy canes.

The ride lasted about 50 minutes, so it was the perfect amount of time for these little ones. They had a great time and Clara asked if we could do it again. It is a really affordable holiday activity for the family to enjoy. I definitely think its worth trying to get tickets next year if you are interested.