It is open Friday & Saturday, the 25th & 26th, from 10am-9pm, and Sunday the 27th from 10am-6pm.

Tickets are $12 for Adults, $6 for Seniors and Children ages 5-12. (Children 4 and under are free.) Tickets can be purchased at the door, or, as in the past, if you buy in advance, you can save $2 by buying them online through this link to their website.

As I have mentioned in the past, one of the big tips I have learned, and will continue to share is that if you have children, GET THE $20 ACTIVITY PACKET (also available to order online prior to & pick up at Will Call). Most of the games & activities require tickets or a wrist band and once your kids see them, they will want to play them. We learned the hard way our first time three years ago, and had to go back to stand in line to buy them.

Even if you miss the $2 online coupon, you can still save $1 at the door through downloading this coupon from their site.

Lunchtime at the eating areas is CROWDED. Plan to grab food a little early, and grab a table. You will be glad you did! (We have eaten sitting on the floor the last two years.)

Not only is this a fun event for all, it benefits the children and families of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. They do amazing work!

Happy Holidays!

The Train Garden

Children of all ages anticipate this weekend where it is a Wonderland of decorated trees, Santa, games, crafters, activities, and more!

The train garden is always a huge hit — my son always begs to go back to it — even with all of the rides and games to play!

Milkshake will be there for two performances on Friday, and there will be ballet, dance, comedy, and music performances throughout the weekend.

As I mentioned in my post about the Festival of Trees last year, I want to a few tips before you head to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium this weekend.

1) Buy your tickets beforehand. If you order them online, you can save $2 off adult admission, and you can pick them up at Will Call at the Timonium Fairgrounds when you arrive. The tickets are good for any of the days it is open. Here is the link to the Kennedy Krieger site to order them.

2) If you have children, GET THE $20 ACTIVITY PACKET (also available to order online prior to & pick up at Will Call). Most of the games & activities require tickets or a wrist band and once your kids see them, they will want to play them. We learned the hard way our first time two years ago, and had to go back to stand in line to buy them. Just get them up front!

3) It can be very crowded at times. Some areas are more crowded than others, but especially at lunchtime around the eating area, it can be very busy.

The Festival of Trees is Friday & Saturday November 26 & 27 from 10 am – 9 pm and Sunday, November 28 from 10 am -6 pm at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The cost before discount is $10 adults, $5 for children 5-12 years old & senior citizens. Children 4 & under are free.

This is so much fun and for a great cause. I hope to see you there!

As they put it on their website: “If Santa had a Themepark, this would be it!”

We thoroughly enjoyed this last year and are looking forward to this year! Our son LOVED the train garden last year, while my niece was onstage dancing with the entertainers.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Festival of Trees, and they are offering a special: $2 off Adult Admission when you buy your ticket online.

I will share with you something we learned quickly last year, at our first visit to the Festival. If you have children over the age of 1, BUY THE $20 ACTIVITY PACKET (which you can order online with your tickets or buy at the door if you buy your tickets there). It includes a wrist band for unlimited train rides, moon bounce, and carousel, plus a ticket for a pony ride, and 20 activity tickets. We did not originally, and ended up going back to wait in line to get them. Kids will WANT TO PLAY these activities and ride the rides.

The Festival of Trees is Friday & Saturday November 27 & 28 from 10 am – 9 pm and Sunday, November 29 from 10 am -6 pm at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The cost before discount is $10 adults, $5 for children 5-12 years old & senior citizens. Children under 4 are free.

The Maryland State Fairgrounds are located at 2200 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093.