Take a ride on the Edaville Railroad this holiday season

CARVER ? Start your holiday season off right with a leisurely train ride through a six-mile sparkling wonderland of holiday lights and animated displays at Edaville Railroad.The Holiday Festival of Lights at Edaville USA, which has been a cherished holiday tradition for five generations promises to be brighter than ever this year with more than seven million lights. It is the largest holiday exhibit of its kind in New England and one of the largest in the country.The heated passenger trains make regular trips around the narrow gauge track resplendent with millions of twinkling holiday lights and intricate animated displays appearing on all sides of the train as the train winds its way through forests, past lakes and over cranberry bogs.Visitors of all ages are sure to be enchanted with this winter wonderland of lights. The narrow gauge railroad cars, with wall-to-wall windows, offer a spectacular view of the displays as the train winds leisurely around the 400-acre Atwood Reservoir. The rail line was built by cranberry grower Ellis Atwood to get workers around his sprawling cranberry bogs. The rail line helped to maintain and harvest his cranberry plantation, which is still one of the largest working cranberry plantations in the world.When at Edaville, be sure to visit the Cranberry World Museum, which offers an interesting look at a berry we have been enjoying since the first Thanksgiving.Many of Edaville’s attractions, including midway rides, and visits with Santa are geared towards the younger set and admission includes unlimited amusement park rides including the Merry-Go-Round, Ferris Wheel, Tilt-A-Whirl, The Red Baron and Jumbo the Elephant.Stroll past outdoor displays depicting Santa’s workshop, where tiny elves are hard at work making toys for good girls and boys.Be sure to bring your appetite. The Freight House Café serves a large variety of reasonably priced food items. There is also an Ice Cream Caboose, which serves up steaming hot chocolate in the winter months, and a Candy Depot on the premises.The Holiday Festival of Lights at Edaville USA is open this Friday from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. From Nov. 23 through Jan. 1, 2008 Edaville Railroad is open seven days a week with the exception of Christmas Day. Hours are from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. on weekends.Admission, which includes all amusement rides and exhibits, is $16 a person and children under two are admitted free. Parking is free and every Friday night in December there is a free fireworks display.Edaville Railroad is on Route 58 in Carver. It is about an hour south of Boston off Route 495.