Day Out With Thomas At Heritage Park

For the past 5 yrs we have spent a weekend in May at Heritage Park. Not this year, though. A tradition has died.

For two weekends each year, Thomas The Tank Engine pulls in to Heritage Park taking kids on a few laps of the grounds. The first year there was extreme excitement.

Until Thomas tooted his horn. Then the tears. Charlie didn’t like getting his picture taken on the track in front of a train that was alive. Smart kid.

Day Out With Thomas Heritage Park

Day Out With Thomas was the first time Zacharie got his face painted. He absolutely shunned it until, one year, he didn’t.

Zacharie first face paint

But the last few years everyone has beamed … even in the snow!

Day Out With Thomas in snow at Heritage Park

It was smiles all around as we made our way through the toys and games, got our picture taken, chomped on gingerbread cookies, and played at the tables.

But not this year.

I saw the press release from Heritage Park this week that tickets for Day Out With Thomas 2016 are on sale. When I mentioned it to the boys, the response was lukewarm.

At 6 and nearly 9 yrs old, the days of the train table in the basement have evaporated. Our Thomas gear has been boxed up for a long time, replaced by LEGO and Minecraft adventures.

I know they’re growing up, I know these wonderful childhood days don’t last forever, but I’ll admit I was naive enough to think some things would be bound up in tradition and would last forever; like taking a ride on Thomas. I even wrote about it last year, blasting the headline You’re Never Too Old To Take A Ride On Thomas.

But it appears you can be.

Zacharie’s done with the Santa myth, but he still bucks up for pictures. Will we still get that moment when Charlie’s belief fades? Will all the wonderful family traditions based around the joy of childhood disappear?

I’m sure they’ll be replaced by new ones but, in the meantime, I’m a little sad that we won’t get one more Day Out With Thomas. Then again, I might just take them anyway. Last year they winced that they were too old as we pulled in to the parking lot, but the end of the day they were beaming – as usual.

day out with thomas 2015

If your kids are still into the big blue guy, you should go. Day Out With Thomas at Heritage Park is a wonderful day (sun, snow, or rain) with games, train tables, songs, face painting, and rides on a real train being towed by Thomas The Tank Engine.

Here’s what you need to know about A Day Out With Thomas 2016

A Day Out with Thomas: The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016 pulls into Calgary on May 7, 8, 13, 14, & 15, 2016.

Thomas the Tank Engine rides depart every 40 minutes, rain or shine. Departure times begin at 9 a.m. through 4:20 p.m. on May 7, 8, 14, 15 and 11:45 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Tickets for Day Out with Thomas are $23 plus tax and service fees for ages two and up.

Tickets are on sale now. For more information and directions, contact Heritage Park.

Day Out with Thomas is a fun-filled event that provides children of all ages the opportunity to climb aboard and take a ride with Thomas as well as participate in Thomas & Friends™ themed activities.

Merry Go Round at Heritage Park

The tour, now in its 21st year, will make 43 stops across the U.S. and Canada, and is expected to welcome nearly one million passengers in 2016. For two back-to-back weekends, little engineers and their families are invited to take a 20-minute ride on their favourite engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway and enjoy a day of Thomas & Friends themed activities. Heritage Park will also offer antique midway rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, outdoor mazes, garden gauge model train display, children’s performers, and face painting.

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