This Saturday, November 17, the ExTRAINaganza 2018 begins at the Great Falls Model Railroad Club, 144 Mill Street in Auburn. The 10th annual Christmas “ExTRAINaganza” is a four-day family fun event with special activities for children on the weekends before and after Thanksgiving. The ExTRAINaganza will be held from 10 to 4 on Saturday, November 17; Sunday, November 18; Friday, November 23; and Saturday, November 24.

Trains of various sizes will be operating on the permanent layouts throughout the two-story building, and club members have continued to make improvements and add interesting scenery details. Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends will be running in the G-gauge room as usual. There will be no charge for children or adults to be “Guest Engineers” and operate one of the HO trains downstairs.

Train-related items at the club’s store include locomotives and rolling stock in a variety of scales, railroad hats, whistles, T-shirts, locomotive earrings, and books. TRAIN TIME videos, produced by the Great Falls Model Railroad Club and seen on many local cable channels, will be shown all day and will be available for sale.

Children will enjoy decorating and eating gingerbread boys and girls, creating Christmas ornaments to take home, and playing the special railroad games designed by the club. The younger children always have fun with the age-appropriate trains in the children’s play area. While watching these activities, parents can enjoy light refreshments from conveniently located tables and chairs in the craft area.

Tickets for decorating cookies, making ornaments, and playing games with prizes are $1 apiece or 7 for $5. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under.