• Article Photo. The Holiday Express returns to Vinton and Palo Saturday, three years after the first train ride.
    The Holiday Express returns to Vinton and Palo Saturday, three years after the first train ride.
  • Article Photo. Light snow falls as the 2008 train made its journeys between Vinton and Palo.
    Light snow falls as the 2008 train made its journeys between Vinton and Palo.

     Ticket sales for the Holiday Train Ride between Vinton and Palo are going very well, said Vinton Unlimited Director Nathan Hesson.

    Hesson advises riders to buy their tickets, which are available now, because he anticipates the ride will be sold out by Saturday. 

    "The Iowa Northern people are very happy with the ticket sales," said Hesson. "They have sold about half of their tickets so far, but expect a big push this week. Your odds of getting a round-trip ticket on Saturday are probably slim-to-none."

     Hesson said Virginia Gay Hospital plans to offer its van as a shuttle bus between the depot and several areas of Vinton, so participants can shop at Vinton stores. Organizations who would like to do fund-raising events can contact VU at 472-3955 to make arrangements. 

    Round-trip tickets are $12 for adults, and $9 for children under age 18. Children two and under can rid for free, if they sit on a parent's lap. For more information on the ride, click HERE. Tickets are also available at Farmers Savings Bank & Trust-Vinton.

     Below is the official press release from Iowa Northern:

A special holiday train ride will take holiday travelers between Palo and Vinton again this winter season.

On Saturday, December 3 families and friends are invited to board Iowa Northern Railway Company’s Hawkeye Express for a special, one-day fundraising event, known as the Palo Holiday Express, to benefit the United Way of East Central Iowa. The Palo Holiday Express will run between Vinton and Palo, taking travelers on a unique train ride with holiday music and spirit.

“This marks the third time we have partnered with NextEra Energy Duane Arnold Energy Center to bring this special family event to Eastern Iowa,” says Dan Sabin, President of the Iowa Northern Railway Company, “and the tickets typically sell out quickly. We’re bringing back the Palo Holiday Express for another year to spread a little holiday cheer, and allow people who missed previous events another chance at riding the wintry rails.”

Funds raised from this event will be donated to the United Way of East Central Iowa and will be used to support childhood education and youth development programs. The two previous Palo Holiday Express events raised more than $60,000 in ticket donations to assist individual businesses and home owners in Palo and Vinton with funds for flood recovery assistance.

Iowa Northern Railway has donated its equipment and operating team for this year’s event; a team of NextEra Energy Duane Arnold Energy Center employees organized the event; Benton County Historical Society has donated the depot and volunteers for the event; and United Way volunteers will help provide staffing for the day.

Tickets for the Palo Holiday Express are available at the Farmers Savings Bank and Trust branch in Vinton and the Guaranty Bank branch located in the Blairs Ferry Road Wal-Mart. For additional information about this event, please visit www.paloholidayexpress.com.