Christmas at the Ranch named a top three holiday train ride
Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards place event third among 15 nominees
– “Christmas at the Ranch,” held at Santa Margarita Ranch in San Luis Obispo County, has been named a top three “Best Christmas Train Ride 2026” by Newsweek readers. The event placed third out of 15 nominees in the publication’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s event opens Friday, Nov. 28, and runs on weekends through Dec. 21.
Newsweek announced the 15 official nominations in late October. Voting closed last Friday, and the results were released today. Of the 15 nominees, 10 were named winners under the publication’s “Newsweek’s Best” designation.
In the award notification, the publication said it recognized Christmas at the Ranch “for its outstanding achievement as the #3 Winner in Best Christmas Train Ride 2026, part of this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards in the Happy Holidays category. This distinction reflects the trust and enthusiasm of Newsweek readers nationwide and underscores the remarkable quality and experience your team delivers.”
The publication, founded in 1933, reports reaching more than 100 million people monthly through its digital and print platforms.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to earn this honor in only our third year,” said Steve Rossi, a co-founder of Christmas at the Ranch. “We are grateful to Newsweek and its readers for recognizing our efforts to create one of the nation’s premier family holiday events right here on the Central Coast.”
Christmas at the Ranch will take place over nine weekend evenings at Santa Margarita Ranch. The ranch is located minutes from Highway 101 in Santa Margarita. Adult and youth ticket prices range from $15 to $40, depending on train car choice, and children age 2 and younger are free. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and are expected to sell out.
Attendees enter the event on one of two steam engine locomotives, one with open-air cars and one pulling three Disney train cars originally used during the early years of the theme park. The nearly two-mile ride includes illuminated displays, live-action scenes of elves unpacking gifts from a C47 prop airplane, and a North Pole Village.
The train rides end at Santa’s Village. Visitors may take part in a visit with Santa, caroling, a magic show, dinner and snack food trucks, face painting, painting classes, lawn games, s’mores roasted by a local high-school FFA, pony rides, a “letters to Santa” station, and holiday craft cocktails.
Proceeds benefit AGM Community Partners and Vintage Traditions Foundation.
The event will be held at Santa Margarita Ranch between Atascadero and San Luis Obispo. It runs weekends from Nov. 28 through Dec. 21. Tickets start at $15, with children age 2 and younger admitted free. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are expected to sell out. More information is available at www.ChristmasattheMargarita.com.
