Full steam ahead for the holidays

Rockaway Beach will ring in the holiday season with its annual tree-lighting celebration at the Ocean’s Edge Wayside this Friday, Nov. 28.

The family-friendly event features live music, caroling and a station for children to write letters to Santa. Hearts and bellies will stay warm with complimentary hot cocoa and cider.

Community members are also invited to bring homemade ornaments to help decorate the tree. Donations of canned food will be collected for the North Coast Food Bank.

Santa is expected to arrive by train on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad at about 6 pm, drawing one of the biggest crowds of the evening. The tree lighting is scheduled for roughly 6:30 pm.

You can ride with Santa to the festivities on the beautifully decorated steam-powered Tree Lighting Train from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach.

The train departs from Garibaldi at 5:30 pm, arrives in Rockaway Beach at 6 pm, then departs from Rockaway beach at 7 pm to return to Garibaldi by 7:30 pm.

Local shops plan to stay open late with holiday specials, and visitors are encouraged to arrive early due to limited parking.

Friday's festivities will get started at roughly 5:30 pm at the Ocean’s Edge Wayside, located at Highway 101 and S First Avenue. For more information and tickets for the train, go to oregoncoastscenic.org.