Our CalTrain has been participating with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation since 2001 with the Holiday Train. This train runs from San Francisco to Santa Clara, usually on the first weekend in December, and makes 20 minute stops in several of the cities along the way.
During the stops Santa and his friends get off the train and mingle with the crowd. There are usually some other activities going on as well.
Some stops have face painting or balloon artists and sometimes the neighborhood high school band will play.
They also have bins to collect toys for tots and last year they got over 3000 new toys for deserving children. Frosty the Snowman is there.
There is usually someone selling hot chocolate too of course. Wouldn’t be right if Rudolph didn’t come.
Santa makes his way up and down the line handing out candy and shaking hands.
It is very bright and festive and it puts everyone in a good mood. Gotta have a Nutcracker!
One of the cars has carolers and they sing a few songs.
Then the train moves on to its next stop with Santa waving from inside.
I am sorry I didn’t know about this train until 2007. It is a really fun thing to do with the kids and it is free! That makes it even better.
The Holiday train used to stop at our station. Then they elevated our platform above the roadway and now it doesn’t stop there anymore. We live a block away from the station though so a couple of years ago I had my camera ready and managed to catch it as it went by. It is really pretty all lit up.
I was mad that I didn’t set an alarm on my phone to remind me to catch it this year. I was going to walk up to the platform and take another video from there. Have to wait until next year now.
Side note, in the #DecemberReflections2018, today’s prompt is Orange and I think my first picture captures that color pretty well, don’t you?
No holiday trains like yours around here. It sounds like fun and would be a smart way to get people in the spirit. I like your use of orange in the first photo. You done good! 🧡
What a cool thing to do! There’s one here in Florida called the Polar Express and everyone goes in their pajamas–I’ve not done it, but a friend took her grands and loved it. It would have been so much fun when my daughter was little.
Yes, Dawn. I am really sorry that by the time I heard about it, my two older kids were not interested and the younger one was only interested for about 2 or 3 years.
Janet's Smiles 
No holiday trains like yours around here. It sounds like fun and would be a smart way to get people in the spirit. I like your use of orange in the first photo. You done good! 🧡
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Thanks Ally. I love when I am able to cross two challenges off my list with one post.
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What a cool thing to do! There’s one here in Florida called the Polar Express and everyone goes in their pajamas–I’ve not done it, but a friend took her grands and loved it. It would have been so much fun when my daughter was little.
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Yes, Dawn. I am really sorry that by the time I heard about it, my two older kids were not interested and the younger one was only interested for about 2 or 3 years.
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