Just past 8 this morning the 2024 Trains At NorthPark presented by Bank of Texas started down the track in its new “depot” just across the way from Starbucks. It was a team effort. When the program got underway with Ronald McDonald doing his best to welcome the families, the mic evidently wasn’t on track to participate. Luckily, the DJ stepped up and offered his mic, which helped. But still, all the activities like face painting and photo buttons provided a real challenge for NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero, Bank of Texas Senior Regional Community Relations Manager Michelle George and Co-Chairs Becky Jones and Cory Bowen to be heard by everyone.
But seriously, who really cared? As soon as Kid Conductor Maria Andrade and her dad Jose Andrade cut the red ribbon, the doors opened for the crowd to tour the array of trains and tracks chugging through such miniature points of interests as Fair Park, the Perot Museum, NorthPark and White House designed by TW Trainworx’s Roger Farkash and his crew.
In the crowd were miniature train lovers Trains Founder Ban Bywaters and 2024 Trains Honorary Co-Chair Brint Ryan, who was such a fan of Roger’s that he had had him create the setting for his own personal collection of miniature trains.
The Trains will be rolling Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p..m. However, in addition to being closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, early closings will be Thanksgiving Eve (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and New Year’s Day (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) The goal for this year’s seven-week run is to raise more than $1.2M to help The Ronald McDonald House Of Dallas provide a home-away-from-home for families with sick children at no charge. Tickets are going for $12 for adults, $7 for children and $5 for seniors.