With the holiday season upon us, Pullen Park was transformed into a festive winter wonderland for events that ran Dec. 2 to Dec. 18. Just down the road from main campus, Pullen Park has filled the park with special events and twinkling lights to welcome in this year’s visitors.
Opened in 1887 as the first public park in North Carolina, Pullen Park has grounded its roots in the Triangle Area. Pullen Park is open for all kinds of activities year-round, but foot traffic spikes each winter as guests arrive for the Park’s biggest annual tradition.
Now on its 16th run, the Holiday Express features activities for children and adults alike. Offerings include the historic 125-year-old carousel ride, Santa’s Toy Shop, the Enchanted Elevator, scavenger hunts and the event’s centerpiece, the Holiday Express Train Ride.
Scott Mott, director of Pullen Amusement, said that although events and activities vary by year, the train ride remains unparalleled in its popularity among guests, with demand usually exceeding ticket availability.
“The biggest [feature] is always our train. People always ask the question: Why are tickets limited? It’s because everybody wants to take part in the Holiday Express,” Mott said. “Our second activity that is probably followed up by the [Holiday Express] would be our visit with Santa Claus and our authentic caboose, which we’ve turned into his toy shop.”
Alongside the most popular attractions, the park offers a range of activities that are available for entertaining children of all ages. For the youngest guests, there is an igloo experience that is transformed into a ball pit, and for the older children, there is a Reindeer Roundup that is relatively new and is also provided by NC State graduates.
“Something we started a couple of years ago, actually, was a group of local business owners who were NC State graduates, their company is called TrackID, and they have developed a virtual tour, scavenger experience,” Mott said. “It’s got many purposes, but basically the kids wear a digital compass, a smart compass, and it directs them to different places around the event. They find, in our case, this year, they’re finding reindeer.”\
There are numerous events set up around the park, ensuring many will be able to find something that they can enjoy. If you need a snack, stop by the Club Cocoa Lounge or the S’more Station. For those feeling competitive, try the Arctic Avenue or Gingerbread Grove.
To make this event more welcoming for all, two sensory-friendly nights reduced the noise, the amount of walking, the amount of flashing lights and offered a smaller number of tickets so there was more space in the park. The dates for these nights were Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 14 — look out for similar accommodations next year.
With so many events focused on entertaining the children, Pullen Park decided to start something new and put on a night solely intended for the 21-plus crowd. On Nov. 29, they started hosting the new event called Merry and Bright, where adults can buy a ticket and experience a night catered to them. There were several activities taking place, but the main events were the food trucks and a local band.
Assistant Manager Jessica Holiday said they started setting up lights for the park as early as October.
Each year, the park draws in thousands of people, leading to intense demand for tickets, with tickets for the Holiday Express being sold out.
“We started at about 16,000 tickets. We’re up to just under 40,000 tickets now, and we know there’s still a demand for more… Every single year, it sells out. It’s just a matter of our tickets and our ticketing system. This year, realistically, it probably sold out in around 30 minutes or so, about all 40,000 tickets,” said Mott.
Tickets typically sell out every year, making this year’s popularity less surprising. The combination of the festive rides and activities and the overall atmosphere of the park make Pullen Park one of the most popular holiday events in the area. Due to the popularity of the event, marking one’s calendar in advance of ticket sales next year may be a wise move.
