Edaville's Winter Wonderland Train & Lights Festival

Edaville's Winter Wonderland is a ticketed holiday festival at the Edaville grounds in Carver, Massachusetts, built around a train ride. The operator calls the Edaville Express the centerpiece of the festival: a journey through acres of light displays aboard its steam train, which it describes as a cherished New England tradition.

Every ticket includes a train ride. General Admission riders board the Holiday Express on a first-come, first-served basis, while First-Class Pajama Express tickets are for scheduled times aboard the famous steam engine, with extra perks.

Around the tracks the festival is laid out as four villages — Main Street, Dicken's Village, the Classic Christmas Village and the New Christmas Village. The operator lists a visit with Santa at the North Pole, an outdoor ice rink, horse-drawn carriage rides, pony rides and a petting zoo, a Christmas market, live entertainment and character meet-and-greets, and the Jingle Bar for guests aged 21 and over. Food, drinks and ticketed special events are not included with General Admission.

An evening outdoors among the light displays: a train ride, four festival villages to explore, character meet-and-greets, live shows, skating on a synthetic rink, carriage rides, a Christmas market and a visit with Santa. The festival is open rain, shine or snow. The operator says the pathways are paved except the stage audience area, so strollers with large, sturdy wheels are the most comfortable.

At 5 Pine Street, Carver, Massachusetts. Parking is free and first come, first served; the operator recommends arriving 30 to 45 minutes before your entry or train time, and on the busiest nights it directs guests to auxiliary lots with a free, continuous shuttle to the front gate. Street parking on Route 58 and nearby residential streets is prohibited. All trains board 15 minutes before departure, and the First-Class Pajama Express cannot be rescheduled if you miss the departure. Outside food and beverages are not permitted, except baby formula or milk and special medical dietary needs. Pets are not allowed; trained service animals are. Tickets are non-refundable because of weather; online tickets can be moved to another date through the ticketing portal until midnight the night before, for a fee. Guests aged 3 and under are free. Phone: 508-866-8190.