Sky Railway launches immersive holiday train experience
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are a lot of ways to get into the holiday spirit here in New Mexico – and that now includes riding the rails.
Throughout December, you can ride on Sky Railway’s “Pablo’s Holiday Train in Lamy.” It’s an hour-long journey through the desert sets off from the historic Lamy depot and begins with a festive sing-a-long.
In between songs, passengers can enjoy some local treats and hot chocolate. There’s even a special menu just for the adults to enjoy.
“We definitely have a naughty and a nice list on the cocktail menu, so you can kind of sneak away in front of the kids and get something stiff for yourself if you’d like,” said Kai Johnson, the director of food and beverages and for Sky Railway.
Once the kids have sung their hearts out and the adults are feeling nice and toasty, Mrs. Claus reads everyone a story about Pablo the Dragon and how he helps Santa Claus save Christmas for all kids in New Mexico.
You can ride the rails with holiday cheer and treats on an immersive experience centered on Mrs. Claus's story about Pablo the dragon.
Santa Fe author Douglas Preston wrote the story, which is brought to life with one key line Mrs. Claus reads.
“Santa changed Pablito – the purple dragon of fire and smoke – into Pablo, the purple train of Christmas.”
Everyone learns they’ve been riding on Pablo the whole time as he redelivers all of Santa’s gifts. Then, Pablo turns into a dragon, who greets the kids’ smiling, happy faces at the end of the trip.
“You just watch these kids’ faces light up so bright and you can tell that they want to be here and that, when they leave, they feel that Christmas spirit. Whatever that means to anybody, it’s just pure joy,” Johnson said.
About a dozen more holiday trains are scheduled now through Christmas. You can learn more about what tickets remain at the Sky Railway website.