Raleigh expands its Holiday Express event, and changes how you get tickets.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Raleigh moves Holiday Express ticketing to Ticketmaster to ease system strain.
- Holiday Express expands to 17 nights with 37,000 tickets available this year.
- Sensory-friendly and adults-only nights offer broader access and new experiences.
Raleigh is changing how it sells tickets to one of the city’s hottest holiday events after years of complaints.
Tickets for the Holiday Express, the winter festival that includes a holiday train ride at Pullen Park, will now be sold through Ticketmaster.
“This is one of the most in-demand events in the entire city,” said Adam Forman, assistant director for Raleigh’s park and recreation department. “People line up by their computers to get the [Holiday Express] tickets immediately. And we have seen a lot of pressure on RecTrac, which is the system that we use in order for people to buy tickets. So we decided to move to Ticketmaster, which is obviously tried and true handling huge, huge, huge events.”
Tickets to previous Holiday Express events have sold out in minutes, and glitches have caused long, virtual lines and frustration. RecTrac dedicated extra server space to try to handle the “big stress on their system,” he said.
“RecTrac is really great at signing up for yoga classes and art classes and basketball leagues, for most of our recreation work,” Forman said. “But in terms of handling mass events, that’s what Ticketmaster is for.”
Holiday express began as a two-night event at Fletcher Park, drawing 3,279 visitors for its first event in 2007.
This year 37,000 tickets will be available, the most ever, compared to nearly 32,000 sold in 2024. The event also will span 17 days.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever meet the demand, because it is just so incredibly tremendous,” Forman said. “But that’s definitely been front and center for us. How can we expand the number of days, expand capacity so that we can accommodate everyone who wants to be there.”
Stacy Lundblad made a Facebook group for people to sell and buy Holiday Express tickets that’s grown to more than 6,000 members. She’s gone to the holiday event every year since 2016 with her husband and two daughters.
“Ticketmaster is the key, I think; they’re able to handle the influx, unlike the city’s system. It is joked about every year that it’s the Holiday Express Hunger Games,” she said. “Waiting to even try to purchase anything can take hours, if you are able to at all — some people even reported waiting in the carpool line and still being in the queue.”
It’s been a frustrating experience to pick out dates and times just to find they sold out while you were selecting them, Lundbald said. But she says for parents and grandparents not to stress too if they missed snagging tickets.
“People are buying tickets so they have something,” she said. “Often, those dates/times don’t work for them. They’re more likely to trade than sell straight out. Keep checking the site, more tickets were released before the event. That’s how I was able to get tickets last year. Know that there are plenty of other events to attend, a lot of them free.”
When do Holiday Express tickets go on sale?
Tickets for the 2025 Pullen Park Holiday Express go on sale at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 on Ticketmaster.
The Holiday Express runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 2 through Dec. 18, and tickets are required for each guest over the age of 1 and regardless of whether a person is riding the train.
People should sign in to their Ticketmaster accounts, make sure payment information is updated and double-check the date and times for the tickets, according to tips from Ticketmaster.
Two sensory friendly nights, 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 6 and Dec. 14, will include lower-decibel music, less walking between activities, fewer crowds and quiet areas to decompress.
Tickets are $17 each, and using Ticketmaster means an additional $2.30 in fees.
Holiday events in Raleigh
The city is also offering a one-night “Merry and Bright Grown Up Night” from 7-10 p.m. Nov. 29 at Pullen Park. The event is for people ages 21 and older with no children or infants allowed. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 on Ticketmaster.
People are encouraged to wear their “ugliest holiday sweater,” ride the carousel or the train, make and mail holiday postcards and take in the lights. Beer, wine and food will be available for purchase at the park’s cafe along with food trucks and breweries.
The $35 tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on Ticketmaster, and proceeds go to Play It Forward, a city initiative that helps families and individuals participate in Raleigh Parks programs.
Holiday Express is just one of the featured events the city offers during the holiday season.
Ice skating is back at the Red Hat Amphitheater starting Nov. 22, the same day as the downtown Raleigh tree lighting.
There are also plans for winter-related events at Moore Square and Dorothea Dix Park in December.
Find a full list of events at raleighnc.gov/holidays.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
