'Polar Express'

HEBER VALLEY — Blond, blue-eyed Braden Adams, a 7-year-old at SCERA Park Elementary School in Orem was excited — really excited. He had been waiting three very long months for this one night, the night he would put on his pajamas, take the train to the North Pole and meet Santa.

For the past eight years, children and adults just like Braden have bundled up in their winter coats, bedroom slippers, gloves and mittens, bathrobes and nightgowns and hopped aboard the Heber Valley Railroad's "Polar Express" for that magic Christmas ride.

Waiting on the train are Santa's elves and railroad workers, equally excited. The elves help Santa find out what passengers want for Christmas, serve Mrs. Santa's yummy chocolate chip cookies and tasty hot chocolate and entertain.

"Twinkie" (Hayley Norris, Heber) is used to wearing her green and red suit and pointed hat. "I have been doing this for four years, and I love it."

Traci Berg is a volunteer reader and hostess. She keeps things rolling and leads the crowd on the train as they all read "The Polar Express" story. Each passenger is loaned a copy of the book, and the reading is timed so the story ends just as the train pulls into the North Pole (a k a Decker Point, just prior to the Deer Creek Dam).

The weight on the train dramatically shifts as the children all rush to the window to see Santa, waving from a candy cane pole marking the North Pole village.

"It feels cool to ride the train," Adams said. His cousin, Parker Adams, agreed, "Yeah, this is pretty cool."

The two boys were there because their grandparents Don and Denae Adams heard about the Polar Express fun from a schoolteacher friend.

"We're crazy about Christmas," Denae Adams admitted. "We purchased our tickets (the Adamses brought along 22 family members) early in September."

Hundreds of families and singles, too, have taken to the Polar Express over the years. According to Bob Donahue, artistic director, nearly 13,000 people boarded the Polar Express during the Christmas 2004 season.

Tickets purchased for the event help to financially maintain the train the rest of the year as well as fund the Heber Valley Arts Council.

Berg said that while she has volunteered on the train there haven't been many mishaps, but there have been a lot of great times including two marriage proposals and lots and lots of children. "The children are part of the show," she said.