Holiday Express tickets in Raleigh always sell out. Use these tips to score yours.
Raleigh’s Holiday Express has swelled in popularity, with thousands of people competing for tickets that always sell out the same day.
Tickets for this year’s holiday train ride go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Katie Lamotta has taken her three children to the annual event for years and offered some tips on how to get tickets.
“I love watching how excited they get when they realize there’s something new or there’s so many things to do,” she said. “It’s just like five or four hours of running around and doing so many different things. It’s nice to have that tradition and something that we do every year.”
There are 30,000 tickets available this year.
Gather your supplies
Take a minute before the queue opens to prepare.
Tickets are sold through the city of Raleigh’s RecLink website. It’s the same website people use to sign up for city summer camps and sports leagues. Make sure you have your RecLink username and password handy and you’re logged in. Or make sure you’ve created an account if this is your first time.
Grab your caffeinated beverage of choice, make sure your laptop’s plugged in and your credit card is nearby. Be aware of the Holiday Express dates (Nov. 29-Dec. 15) and check your calendar for potential conflicts.
Be in line at 8:45 a.m.
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
This is the second year the city of Raleigh is using a randomized queue. So the most important thing is that you’re in line during the 15 minute window between when the queue opens at 8:45 a.m. and when tickets go on sell at 9 a.m.
If you join the queue after 9 a.m., you will be placed at the end, said Cara McLeod, a spokesperson for the city.
In 2019, tickets sold out in less than 15 minutes.
Be prepared to wait.
Once you’re in the online queue, prepare to wait.
“You cannot get out of line,” Lamotta said. “You just have to sit there and wait. I actually ended up being on a work call when I finally got through (last year). And I had to tell my boss, like, ‘Just one second. Let me buy these tickets.’”
That was about an hour of waiting in the ticket queue, she said.
Unfortunately, there are times when you may lose access to the website. If that happens you have to re-enter the queue on RecLink.
Don’t panic if you miss out.
Not everyone gets a ticket. But that doesn’t mean you’re totally out of luck.
“If you don’t get tickets, it’s really not the end of the world,” Lamotta said. “I feel like a lot of people think that it is, but there are going to be tons of people who bought the wrong night or can’t go last minute. There are definitely going to be opportunities to buy tickets from people. So, you know, don’t panic. It’s a fun activity for the kids, but it’s not the only thing in Raleigh.”
While the tickets are non-refundable, they are transferable between guests (but not between nights), and can spring up last minute on social media.
There’s a private Facebook group, “Raleigh Area December Holiday Events including Holiday Express,” where people trade or sell tickets they can no longer use. Tickets also pop up in some local parent Facebook groups.
Just be careful and use common sense when buying tickets from someone online.
When is the Holiday Express?
The event is from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 29 through Dec. 15 at Pullen Park, 520 Ashe Ave., Raleigh.
How much are tickets?
Tickets are $16 per guest, plus tax. Tickets are limited to eight per household/credit card/IP address. If someone buys more than eight tickets, all of the tickets may be canceled.
When do I ride the train?
The ticket includes your scheduled time to ride the train. People are asked to arrive at the train station 15 minutes before departure. People who miss their scheduled time can try to ride the 8:30 p.m. standby ride.
What else is there to do?
While the holiday train may be the highlight, there are lots of activities to participate in.
In Candy Cane Lane children will be able to do crafts to take home including making reindeer food and writing letters to Santa. The Gingerbread Grove has a 27-foot-tall gingerbread slide. (Just know last year’s slide was a little steep for some younger kids)
The snowball fight is back on Arctic Avenue which includes other games and dancing. And families will be able to step inside a giant snow globe for photos and go on a Yeti Hunt to find a family of Yetis loose in the park.
And you won’t want to miss the S’more Station with the Raleigh Fire Department.
New this year is the Holiday Highway. People can walk around the lake to “remember some of our best holidays” including stations and events of other holidays from throughout the year.
The gift shop, welcome center, carousel and Pullen Cafe will all also be open.
Getting food can take a while, so Lamotta recommends eating before or bringing snacks.
“(Last year) my husband tried to order something, and it took him about 30 minutes,” she said. “So he missed out on some of the activities. So have a game plan if you’re going to have somebody going to get food.”
What about bad weather?
This is an outdoor event and will go on in light rain or light snow. If there is severe weather a decision on whether to cancel will be made by noon, the day of the event. Rain dates are scheduled for Dec. 16-19.
“Make sure you bring layers,” Lamotta said. “It’s been hit or miss whether it’s been freezing cold or OK when we have gone. We bring extra clothes because the kids can get hot running around.”
What about parking?
Parking is free, and most people should park at the Coliseum Parking Deck on N.C. State University’s campus, located at 201 Jensen Drive.
Handicap parking and people with mobility needs can park in the Pullen Park lot, located at 520 Ashe Ave.
The Coliseum Park Deck does require a parking permit, available starting Nov. 22. People can go to go.ncsu.edu/EventParking, select purchase event permit, select general events, select Holiday Express and use HolidayExpress as the voucher code. The voucher is case-sensitive.
Step-by-step instructions are available on the city’s website: raleighnc.gov/parks/services/holiday-express
What’s new this year?
This year the city is offering a Sensory Friendly Event from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 9 for people with sensory needs.
It will include lower-decibel music, decreased capacity, no strobe lights and quiet areas for decompression. Sensory bags with headphones and fidgets will be available.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Holiday Express tickets in Raleigh always sell out. Use these tips to score yours.."
