DAY OUT WITH THOMAS™: LEADER OF THE TRACK TOUR 2011
PULLING INTO THE Grapevine Vintage Railroad
FANS INVITED TO THE LEADER OF THE TRACK TOUR FEATURING EVERYONE’S FAVORITE ENDEARING STORYBOOK ENGINE
Thomas the Tank Engine™ to visit the Grapevine Vintage Railroad
March 25-27 & April 1-3, 2011
Grapevine, TX – All aboard for the best party ever! Thomas the Tank Engine™ is set to roll into Grapevine for the Day Out With Thomas™: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011. All Thomas fans are invited to come spend the day with their favorite No. 1 engine and celebrate a day of fun-filled activities. The event, which takes place March 25-27 & April 1-3, 2011, will be hosted by Museum of the American Railroad & the Grapevine Vintage Railroad and presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by MEGA Brands, a leading toy company.
For 65 years, children have been captivated by the courageous adventures of Thomas and his engine friends. Pulling out of the station for its 16th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011 will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada. Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite #1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts. Each year the tour grows, traveling to new destinations, adding new activities and welcoming new visitors.
Thomas the Tank Engine, star of Thomas & Friends™, on PBS KIDS® and PBS KIDS SproutSM kicked off his Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011 in March and is expected to welcome more than one million passengers through December. During the Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011, children will ride with Thomas up steep hills, around deep, blue lakes, and help him rescue his engine friends—if only in their imaginations. Day Out with Thomas 2011 activities include:
- A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine
- The opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt™, Controller of the Railway
- A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts and crafts activities and coloring sheets.
- Storytelling, video viewing and live music as well as bounce houses, a petting zoo, a huge sandbox, arts & crafts and more!
- 2011 commemorative merchandise and giveaways, including a mini-view finder giveaway that tells the story of Thomas’ upcoming adventure, Misty Island Rescue
The tour provides a unique, interactive family experience at every station, offering a variety of entertaining activities that reflect the local flavor of each stop. At the Grapevine Vintage Railroad activities will include: a real model train layout, bounce houses, live stage entertainment, arts & crafts, a petting zoo, a huge sandbox, and more!
The 25-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every 50 minutes, rain or shine, with departure times at 9:00 am through 5:20pm daily. Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011 are $18 plus tax for ages two and up.
Tickets are on sale now by calling toll-free 866.468.7630 or logging onto http://events.hitentertainment.com For more information and directions contact the Museum of the American Railroad at 214-428-0101 or www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com
For general information or to find a Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011 event near you, visit www.thomasandfriends.com.
For media use only: For high-resolution downloadable artwork or additional information please go to www.hitnewsonline.com and select Day Out With Thomas: The Leader of the Track Tour 2011 Artwork.
About The Museum of the American Railroad & the Grapevine Vintage Railroad
Day Out with Thomas is a collaboration between the Museum of the American Railroad in Fair Park and the Grapevine Vintage Railroad in Historic Downtown Grapevine, Texas. Proceeds from the event go toward historic rail preservation. The event introduces a new generation of train enthusiasts to rail travel and the importance of rail preservation. For more information, visit our website at www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com
About Thomas & Friends™
Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son nearly 65 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends makes tracks to great destinations on PBS KIDS®, PBS KIDS SproutSM and with downloadable episodes available through iTunes. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com.
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment’s Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT’s lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.
About MEGA Brands
MEGA Brands is a trusted family of leading global brands in construction toys, games & puzzles, arts & crafts and stationery. They offer engaging creative experiences for children and families through innovative, well-designed, affordable and high-quality products. Visit http://www.megabrands.com for more information.