I've had a few conversations with various organizations and event planners in the rail preservation/operation industry over the years about the success of executing events and operations specifically on major holidays such as Memorial Day or July 4th.

There seems to be little consensus on whether or not operations can benefit from these holidays or whether they suffer due to competition (family vacation, major sporting events, etc) and I wonder if it's more a matter of your location and demographics than competing holiday interests.

If our target demographics are the young families on vacation (in this instance) I would certainly want to attract them on the big family stay/vacations, but has anyone found that competition for other venues on these particular days to be great or almost nonexistent? Likewise, would one say it's better to pick unclaimed dates during the season (July 16th over July 4th weekend, for example) to "make your own" rather than worry customers will be juggling too many activities on their days off and not pick yours. This is one reason a major event like Train Festival 2011 exists on a non-holiday weekend.

North Pole/Polar Express, Santa Trains, and other winter derivatives are a different animal, taking place not necessarily on the day of the holiday but in the days/weeks leading up to it (and have more or less become part of our cultural as being train related, but Memorial Day or Labor Day trains? What about them?) Is it better to try and stake your claim on a weekend that isn't full of competition?

At the Western Railway Museum we are open for Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day. We are not open for any other Monday holidays such as President's Day; they do not produce much attendance. The museum is open 52 weekends per year. The museum is closed for Christmas and New Years Day even when they fall on a weekend.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. These two days are part of a three day weekend for many people. Attendance usually is pretty good comparable to the previous weekend days. When July 4 is on a Monday or a Friday attendance also is comparable to adjoining weekend days; other days attendance is so so.

So seasonal holidays can both hurt and help. It's a pragmatic decision on your part.

At National Capital Trolley Museum we are open on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. We have an exhibit and video program about transit in WWII on Memorial Day, and a similar exhibit on transit workers on Labor Day. Neither is a big draw, but I think the effort is important for our educational mission.

We also do a holiday event on the weekend leading up to Christmas that does draw increased attendance. This year we will offer a new pumpkin patch event in the weeks before Hallowe'en.

Curiously one of our bigger days is the Saturday after Thanksgiving when no special programming is offered.

Wesley

I've heard of this phenomenon before, both at museums and businesses like antique malls, etc. I think it probably has something to do with menfolk seeking entertainment while their wives attend "Black Friday"

One of the more recent things to happen has been a select few number of operators running Polar Express after Christmas....presumably to take Santa 'back' to the North Pole and thank him for the presents.... expirimenting with running that week to see if they can still sell seats.

Considering the number of people that are off the post-Christmas - before New Years week, and the typical complete lack of family activities during that week, this would seem to fit in this discussion fairly well.

I'm really curious to hear from operations that have tried this and their experiences. It would seem to me to be a better-than-average opportunity to get families in without other activities competing against you. That is, of course, assuming you aren't in six feet of snow at five degrees or the locomotive won't start!

In the past, the only timeframe that tourist railroads 'owned' with relatively little promotion necessary was October in the Northeast...everybody wanted to ride a train in the fall foliage when you couldn't beg them to ride during the peak of the summer vacation season with so much activity competition. Polar in particular has proven that you can also muscle in a timeframe where everybody else has something to do and is on the proverbial countdown, but riding the train is a priority activity and 'trains and Christmas' associate rather well.

I'm a big fan of partnering to produce events based on holidays, seasonal themes, etc. Proven successes are running trains to pumpkin patches or christmas three farms to pick / cut your own, combined with other entertainments for half days seasonal entertainment for one price. I can see working with the veterans' groups for Independence Day, along with a town sponsoring a firworks display best viewed from open excursion cars with hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream etc served as a sort of picnic / dinner train concept. Hallowe'en, maybe combined with a Harvest Festival, presents another opportunity partnering with locavores, farmers' markets, restaurants, etc. Easter and spring could combine well also.

The competitive advantage is the provision of a good 3--4 hours of mixed entertainment for one price with many things apart from just a train ride to do. Personalizing an event for the partners and resources available in your community and fitting onto your operation encourages thinking outside the box of foam, and includes you in the local business community as a valuable partner rather than just those guys that play train on weekends.

I'm also very interested in what Randy was mentioning.

dave

I was really looking forward to someone answering Randy's question about Polar Express between Christmas and New Years.

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum is/was considering this, but the majority opinion seems to be we would all be too tired.

I am continually amazed how a question about trivia will generate endless messages, while important questions about how to run a railroad museum as a business just get crickets.

The vast majority of our visitors are families with children. They could care less about many of the details we consider important - just have clean bathrooms for mom!

I find avoiding celebrating and holidays in general keeps me less tired. I'm more happy to capitalize on others unwillingness to do so. "God rest ye merry, merchants, may ye make the yuletide pay!" (Tom Lehrer).

dave

Randy,

In the first year of Holly Trolleyfest at National Capital Trolley Museum we tried Santa on the weekend between Christmas and New Year's Day. It was a strange experience, and awkward for our Santa and the children. Santa did not return after Christmas after that first year. In the years since we continue to open after Christmas and offer trolley rides and a G Gauge Christmas garden, but no Santa. Attendance is decent enough to warrant the effort, probably for the same reason that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is well-attended.

Wesley