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Weekend Events: Model Railroad Show, Legendary Santa & Dominion Energy Gardenfest

Posted at 10:10 AM, Nov 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-22 16:59:54-05

RICHMOND, Va. —

40th Annual Model Railroad Show November 24-26, at the Science Museum of Virginia. This year’s event will feature eight different train displays with scaled locomotives riding through intricate landscapes and miniature cities. The museum is also creating a special mini exhibit featuring items from historic Broad Street Station to help commemorate the 40th annual event. Broad Street Station served as a passenger rail station from 1919 until 1975. Guests will explore vintage train cars, take a trackless train ride on the Teddy Bear Express, see Clydesdale horses, make train-themed crafts, participate in exciting science demonstrations, and even take a horse-drawn carriage ride (available Sunday only). The Model Railroad Show activities are free with Museum admission which is $14.50 for adults, with a $1 discount for youth and seniors. Children three and under are free. Event hours are 9:30 – 5 on Friday and Saturday and 11 – 5 on Sunday. For more details visit http://www.smv.org/ or call 804-864-1400.

Dominion Energy Gardenfest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, November 24 – January 8, 2018, nightly 5 -10pm.

A holiday tradition featuring more than a half-million lights, botanical decorations, model trains, holiday dinners, family activities and more. The show runs nightly 5 – 10 p.m. from Nov. 24, 2017 through January 8, 2018 (closed Dec. 24 & 25). The 2017’e theme: Naturally Ever After: Enjoy indoor and outdoor displays, family activities and holiday events spotlighting tales spanning cultures and time. These stories explore natural phenomena, teach life lessons, celebrate the seasons, and ultimately connect people with plants and each other. SPECIAL NIGHTS: Friday, November 24, Dominion Energy GardenFest Grand Illumination, 5 – 5:30 p.m.; Nightly – Merry Mondays: storytime in the Library and Santa sightings in the Conservatory (through Dec. 18); Caroling Tuesdays: strolling barbershop quartets; Crafty Wednesdays: guest can make a craft; Musical Thursdays: acoustic music in the Library; Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 and Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, Dominion GardenFest for Fidos. Leashed pets allowed on these nights only. A $2 suggested “pet admission” benefits Richmond SPCA; Sunday, December 31, 2017; 2 – 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve Family Frolic. Regular Garden admission. For more details visit http://www.lewisginter.org/ or call 804-262-9887.

Legendary Santa at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, Central November 24 – Christmas Eve. Museum Doors open 1 hour before Legendary Santa. Museum exhibits open at 9:30 am. In the event of longer-than-usual wait times, it could be necessary for the line to close before the posted time (and without prior notice) so all the children in the queue will have the opportunity to visit with Santa. Special event with Santa: Sunrise and Sunset with Santa, Sensitive Santa, families with children who have sensory or other special needs are invited to a sensory-friendly visit with Legendary Santa, presented by Altria Companies Employee Community Fund, including special access to the Genworth Foundation Holiday Village, CMoR Central’s Exhibits, and the Virginia529 Fawn Shop. The Genworth Foundation Holiday Village provides the perfect venue to showcase a variety of cultural traditions from around the world. It explores six festivals celebrated by our Richmond neighbors at this time of year: Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Lunar New Year. Each Fan-style house features the symbols, traditions and customs that enrich this season of light for so many families. Museum hours differ from Legendary Santa, for a complete list visit http://www.c-mor.org/full-menu/legendary-santa/ or call (804) 474-7062. CMoR Central is located at 2626 West Broad Street,

Richmond.

Through December 31

4th Annual Illuminate Light Show and Santa’s Village, open through December 31, nightly at 5:00 pm, rain or shine and on holidays. Illuminate Light Show & Santa’s Village, Central Virginia’s largest drive-thru Christmas light show, opens Friday, at Meadow Event Park in Doswell. The route consists of over 1.5 miles of dazzling Christmas lights, synchronized to music on your own radio.  Hundreds of thousands of LED lights, dozens of displays and Christmas songs make for the perfect annual family tradition. After the journey through the Christmas lights, visitors can enjoy Santa’s Village featuring pictures with Santa, entertainment, shopping, hot and cold food items and delicious treats. Pets are welcome in Santa’s Village every Tuesday night through Christmas Eve. For details visit http://www.illuminatelightshow.com/.

Richmond Railroad Museum 102 Hull Street

The Old Dominion Chapter Modelers will be open for extended hours during the Christmas Season.  For four big weekends starting November 25th the huge HO model will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM Saturdays and Sundays for the viewing pleasure of adults and children. The model occupies a large room that is the whole front end of the old Hull Street Station.  This area of the former Southern Railroad Passenger Station was originally restrooms and waiting rooms.  Thirteen major floods over the years ravaged this end of the station.  When the Old Dominion Chapter of the NRHS took over the building, extensive repairs had to be made, including new floors and floor joists.  Protected now by a flood wall, flooding is hopefully a thing of the past. The Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Inc., is a voluntary, non-profit Virginia educational organization.  The Museum is open, free, every weekend.  Normal hours are 11 to 4 Saturday and 1 to 4 Sunday. We invite anyone with an interest in railroads to come to our monthly meetings at 7 PM at the Hull Street Station (the former Southern Railway passenger station at 102 Hull Street). For details odcnrhs.org  or on Facebook at RichmondRailroadMuseum.

RVA Holiday day party with a purpose to benefit The KLM Scholarship Foundation. Saturday, December 2, 3 – 7 pm at Club Infuzion, 1401 Roseneath Road, Scott’s Addition, Richmond. Dress Casual and come ready to dance the evening away. There will be Raffle Prize: RCA 50″ LED TV, Tickets 1 for $5 or 3 for $10 and the GREEK Challenge returns – The Divine 9 with the most members in attendance will take home the trophy, enjoy social media shout-outs & have BRAGGING RIGHTS for 1 whole year!! The RVA Holiday Day Party will be hosted by CBS 6’s Antoinette Essa and DJ Drake. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite for $30.00 or at the door for $35.00. KLM Scholarship Foundation has been serving students who attend Virginia colleges and universities for 15 years. The non-profit has distributed more than $222,000 in book scholarships. Over 95% of your support reaches the students served by The KLM Foundation. For more information on how to get involved with the organization, visit http://klmfoundation.org/ and for tickets visit

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rva-holiday-day-party-rvaholidaydp-tickets-37678773225.