Festival of Trains

NMRRC Festival of Trains  – Christmas 2025

First Christian ChurchThis year’s event will be held at the Creekside Community Church Hall – 3686 W. South Airport Road – just behind Best Buy on the north side of Airport Road. The show will take place in the general-purpose area of the church and gymnasium.

Dates and times of the show:
The show starts Saturday, December 20th and runs through Saturday, January 3rd, 2026

Special Hours:
December 24th – 10am to 4pm
Closed on December 25th
December 31st – 10am to 4pm
January 1st – 1pm to 4pm
January 3rd – 10am to 4pm

Santa Visits are on Saturday, December 20th and Saturday, December 27th.

Times for the event will be from 10 am until 6 pm Monday through Saturday and from 1 pm until 4 pm on Sundays.  The event will be closed on Christmas Day but open on December 24th from 10am to 4pm.

Swap Meets are every Saturday and Sunday during the Festival:
12/20, 12/21, 12/27, 12/28, 1/3, 1/4

Click this link for more information!

The Festival of Trains History –
The Festival of Trains has been an annual holiday tradition in Traverse since 1991. Dave Walker, Rick Antosh and Bryan Crough who are considered to be the “Founding Fathers”, began the festival in the Traverse City Opera House. The FOT was a major fundraiser for the renovations at the Opera House and it quickly became a significant attraction for the Traverse City area. When the renovations began in 2002, much to the dismay of hundreds of children (and adults) throughout Northern Michigan, the Festival of Trains shut down due to not having a suitable venue anymore.

In 2003, thanks to the help of The Northern Michigan RailRoad Club, the FOT was reborn at the Historic Carnegie Library on 6th Street, now home to the Crooked Tree Art Center, and formerly known as the Traverse Area Historical Society. The Northern Michigan RailRoad Club had been the primary exhibitor at the FOT since the club’s inception in 2003. Many or our members were also involved with the FOT prior to the existence of the Club at the City Opera House.

 

With nearly 6,000+ visitors each year, the FOT is now one of the largest fundraisers for Traverse City charities and is currently partnering with The Children’s Museum and the Creekside Community Church Hall.