Whether you’re a tinkerer, a thinker, or an adventurer, there are countless events to attend that can help you enjoy the holidays.
From Christmas train rides to an outdoor escape room scavenger hunt that gets people exploring downtown Ocala, there are a lot of art and entertainment events coming to the communities surrounding The Villages for the Christmas season.
Bushnell Station Brings New View Of The Holidays
The early 20th century is often referred to as the Golden Age of Florida Train Travel, according to Florida Memory archives. To keep the history of train travel alive and chugging on in the hearts of locals, the Gulf Coast and Central Florida Railroad Museum Inc. at Bushnell Station will continue its Holiday Express Train Ride for the fourth year.
From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, train lovers can board the 1/8th scale train to experience holiday lights and Christmas characters set up along a 15-minute ride for the Holiday Express event.
Train rides are unlimited with the purchase of an event ticket. Tickets for the event range from $5.75 to $12 per person.
“Each year we add 15 to 20 different items and there’s thousands of lights along the train ride. You can’t go 10 feet without there being something to look at. We just want to keep expanding,” said Craig Hurst, president of the Gulf Coast and Central Florida Railroad Museum Inc. at Bushnell Station.
The train ride goes up half a mile and at the end, kids can operate a model version of Thomas the Train. Along with riding the model train, guests can explore the museum’s exhibit halls to see 25 different model trains operating all at once. Hurst said that with Florida’s rich history and the resurgence of train travel, including the Brightline and SunRail, it’s exciting for volunteers to share the history about and provide an experience of train travel.
“We have over 200 volunteers working with us. Every single volunteer will tell you the same thing — it’s the smile. When we see kids smiling and jumping up and down while looking at the models, or an 80-year-old smiling from ear to ear while riding the tracks, that’s the best part,” Hurst said.
He added that the excitement provided by the station during the holidays causes some guests to come back year after year. “When guests are leaving, we ask them if we met their expectations. If they say yes, then we failed. It’s always our goal to exceed our guests’ expectations,” Hurst said.
Visit bushnellstation.com to make a reservation for the special holiday event.
Huddy’s Escape Invites Explorers To Discover Downtown Ocala For Christmas
Adventure addicts will be able to get their exploration fix with a bit of holiday flair thanks to Huddy’s Escape’s Christmas Adventure: Jingle Jinx Downtown Ocala Experience happening Dec. 20 through today.
Adam Tencza, owner of Huddy’s Escape, said that this is the first year they’ll host an outdoor holiday escape room adventure after gauging interest from others in the community.
“We’ve been asked to do stuff like this for years. In November, I randomly did a spontaneous free scavenger hunt, where the winner would be able to find a $400 gift card after finding two clues. Whoever solved it first, won. We had 300 people turn out and then we did three back-to-back with more people each time,” Tencza said.The outdoor adventure takes participants on a 90-minute walking quest through downtown Ocala — turning the city into a real-life board game.
Using a provided iPad, players will solve 12 puzzles that include interactions with local landmarks and businesses in the area, including Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, Black Sheep Downtown, and others; with The Lodge Ocala on the Square, 36 S Magnolia Ave, Ocala, being the starting point.
“We spent 500 hours walking downtown mapping everything out and getting the game together,” Tencza said.Since announcing the new holiday activity, Tencza said over 24 groups have purchased tickets and over 400 people have shown interest through social media.
People can purchase six tickets for $99.99 at Huddysescape.com.
For more information about the event call 352-304-8383.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
