The Friday and Saturday tickets for the Englewood Holiday Express went on sale to residents on October 5. A second ticket for the same train, looping past the same lights in Belleview Park, goes on sale to everyone on Monday, November 2 at 9 a.m., and costs $5 a ride.
Last December the Sunday rides were a late addition, posted after the main event had already sold out. This year they're on the calendar from the start, with their own sale date. For an Englewood household that missed the October window, Monday morning is the holiday ticket date that counts.
How Last Year's Fallback Became a Second Sale
The City of Englewood's 2025 announcement set up the event the way it still runs. There were four Friday and Saturday nights, December 5–6 and 12–13, from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Resident tickets went on sale October 6 and non-resident tickets on October 8.
Those nights filled. A Macaroni KID listing for the December 13, 2025 session carries the label "SOLD OUT." Mile High on the Cheap calls the event one that always sells out and tells families to buy early.
On November 17, 2025, the city posted a short notice about Sunday Train Rides on December 7 and 14 from 3 to 8 p.m. They cost $5 per person, per ride, children under 2 rode free, and hot cocoa was for sale. Macaroni KID's listing for those Sunday rides made their purpose plain:
Englewood Holiday Express is sold out! Didn't snag a ticket? You can still enjoy the lights around Belleview with Sunday Train rides!
The same listing called the tickets "limited."
For 2026, the Sunday rides are printed on the main Holiday Express page next to the Friday and Saturday dates, with a set sale time. Last year the Sunday notice went up 42 days after resident tickets opened. This year the Sunday sale opens 28 days after it, two weeks earlier in the season, at a time families can plan around.
As of the Macaroni KID update dated October 21, 2026, the Friday and Saturday tickets were "going FAST." The listing doesn't say any 2026 night has sold out. Given how 2025 went, a resident still hoping for December should plan for both sales.
Same Train, Two Tickets
Both tickets put riders on the Englewood Train under the lights at Belleview Park, 1111 W. Belleview Ave. The other details differ.
| Holiday Express | Sunday Train Rides | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 dates | Fri.–Sat., Dec. 4–5 and Dec. 11–12 | Sundays, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 |
| Hours | 3 to 8:30 p.m., last entry 7:30 p.m. | 3 to 7:30 p.m. per the event page |
| Price | $15 per person, under 2 free | $5 per person, per ride |
| On sale | Oct. 5 for residents, Oct. 7 for non-residents | Mon., Nov. 2 at 9 a.m., open to everyone |
| What's included | Lights, s'mores, crafts, unlimited train rides, visits from Santa | A train ride through the lights |
| Hot cocoa | For purchase | For purchase |
The Holiday Express is a full evening. A ticket gets you into the park in a half-hour entry window, with s'mores, crafts, Santa and as many train rides as you want. The city points out that "your ticket time is your entry time, not your ride time," and trains load on a rolling basis about every 15 minutes.
The Sunday ticket is just the ride. A family of four that wants one loop pays $20 on a Sunday and $60 for the Friday or Saturday event. Two loops on a Sunday come to $40, still less than one Saturday entry for the same family. The Sunday ride skips Santa and the craft tables but keeps the lights and the train, at a third of the per-person price.
The event page lists Sunday hours of 3 to 7:30 p.m., while the Farm & Train FAQ page lists December Sunday rides as 3 to 7 p.m. If you're aiming for a later ride on December 6 or 13, check with the city first. Last year's Sunday rides ran until 8 p.m., so the 2026 window is shorter either way.
Monday, November 2, Before 9 a.m.
The Sunday sale is open to everyone at once, with no resident head start like the October sale had. So the steps you take before Monday morning matter more than usual. The city's ticketing runs through the Englewood Parks and Recreation online system, and the page lays out the process.
- Log in, or create an account now. Every purchase requires an Englewood Parks and Recreation account. If your household doesn't have one, the account setup page is open today.
- Check the email address on file. Tickets are emailed after purchase, and the city warns they won't arrive if the email is entered wrong.
- Pick your Sunday ahead of time. December 6 is the first weekend of the season, and December 13 falls the day after the last Holiday Express night.
- Buy at 9 a.m. Monday through the ticket link on the Holiday Express page.
- Check spam if nothing arrives. Tickets come from "Englewood Parks and Recreation Department."
The event is set up for guests with mobility needs as well. The entrance runs from the parking lot down a paved asphalt ramp and over two railroad ties. The Santa, cocoa and train areas are on asphalt, while the craft and s'mores areas are on grass. The Englewood Train has an accessible ramp for wheelchairs, with secure straps. The event page lists a city contact for anyone who needs specific accommodations.
Why the Park Is Quiet Until December
If you walked past Belleview Park this month, the Farm & Train area was quiet, and that's its normal schedule. The regular season runs from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend, daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. In 2026 the farm's closing weekend was September 5–7, and weekend train rides continued through September 27.
The animals won't be there in December. The city's FAQ explains that they "are all people's pets that spend summer camp with us at the Farm," and they go back to their homes when the farm closes in September. They come in each May old enough to be weaned and eating solid feed, but young enough to be "cute and docile."
That leaves the train as the part of the park that runs in winter. According to the city's Englewood Farm & Train page, the farm and train have operated in Belleview Park for more than 50 years and average 60,000 train riders a year. The train is electric, and a regular ride is a lap of about 10 minutes around the park.
A summer ride costs $3 per person, and the Buckaroo Pass gives 10 farm or train tokens for $25. The December Sunday ride costs $5 for the same lap after dark with the lights up. In 2025 it was a stopgap for families who missed the Friday and Saturday tickets. In 2026 it goes on sale Monday, November 2 at 9 a.m.
If you end up planning December around a Sunday train ride and a cup of cocoa at Belleview Park, I'd love to hear which Sunday you picked. When you're thinking about your own next chapter here, Leah Klepetka is happy to talk it through over coffee. Let's Connect.
