It is that time of the year again! All of the holiday lights are up and holiday festivities have begun. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Pratt Brothers Christmas! We were able to attend last year and we loved it! We were invited back again this year, and we had just as much fun as last year. If you love holiday events this is a must and it is fun for all ages. They have everything set up at Rawhide, so not only will it be a Christmas experience, but it will feel like you are in the old West as well. You'll find a train ride through several different themed areas that are absolutely packed with lights, a fire pit area where you can make smores, a fabulous photo opportunity spot where fake snow falls, a Christmas parade, A big light show with pyrotechnics and more.
When you arrive be sure to pick up a map & guide, it will show you where everything is and have times listed for the different events. If you time everything out right, you will be able to do a lot of the activities back-to-back without a long wait time in between. I highly recommend heading to the back as soon as they open and doing the train ride first as the line can get pretty long. Both sides of the train are decorated and have different lighting & decor, so I suggest going on the train ride more than once since unlimited rides are included with admission. That way you can swap sides and concentrate on each side individually. One of my favorite spots at the Pratt Brothers Christmas is the fake snow area, the "snow" is made from a bubble foam type liquid, but it does look very similar to an actual snow fall. It creates some fantastic winter photos! If you get there a little early for a time slot, you'll be able to snag a spot in front of the snow-covered Christmas trees for even better photo opportunities.
If you have small children you'll be visiting with you can book a time slot to see Santa! They do allow walk-ups however it is on a first come first serve basis, so I would book a time when you get your tickets online. Your children will also be able to meet Mrs. Claus in another area of the event, plus there is a section to write letters to Santa. See a live show, make Smores, grab some food or participate in one of their two scavenger hunts, there is plenty to do at Pratt Brothers Christmas.
They offer two different ticket options, you can get a general admission ticket for $38 or opt for a VIP ticket for $89. They also have some discounts available such as the family four pack of general admission for $133 which will save you about $20, or you can go on a weekday for lower pricing. Is the VIP ticket worth it? I know the VIP is quite a bit more than what the general admission tickets are, so let's go over everything that comes with the VIP tickets.
When you purchase a VIP it comes with everything that is included in the general admission, plus you'll be given a goodie bag & a lanyard. The lanyard gives you access to the VIP lounge where you can grab drinks and sit down for a little bit to rest your feet while watching a holiday movie inside where it is a little warmer. Your goodie bag comes with a ticket for a free hot coco - if you are an adult you can get a spiked hot coco, a free boot shaped mug with your choice of drink - kids can choose from soda, and adults can choose from either a soda or a "Santas Helper" a specialty alcoholic drink. The boots light up which adds a little extra Christmas magic & they are yours to take home. Your gift bag also comes with a ticket for premium seating for the western show, a fast pass for the train, a smores kit, a cookie decorating kit, and a set of hand warmers. Plus in a kids bag they will get a button pin & a wrist band, and adults will get a button along with a holiday ornament. Without the VIP tickets hot cholates are $8, the boot cups are $3, sodas are $4, Santas Helper is $13 and spiked hot chocolate is $10 so in drinks it adds a $15 value to the kids ticket and $15-26 value to adult tickets. I unfortunately didn't see how much the cookie decorating kits & smores kits were if you were to buy them separately. However, given everything that is included in the bags and the front of the line pass/premium seating I would say it makes up for the $50ish difference in price.
It was busy when we went, however all of the lines were pretty manageable, and we were able to find good spots to watch both the light show and the Christmas parade. It was also easy to find a seat to watch both of the live shows, which was surprising for a Saturday! If you've gone multiple years in a row, the train ride themes haven't changed from last year. Everything was pretty much the same as it was last year, but we still had a lot of fun, especially because my husband and our son didn't make it with to last years event. On a last note, I just wanted to include that since this event takes place in part of Rawhide, this is an outdoors event it will be chilly and the ground is mostly dirt. I would bring something warm to wear & make sure to wear proper shoes as it can be a little muddy out.
Want to win a family four pack of general admission tickets to this event???? Stop by either my Instagram page or Tiktok and enter on my Pratt Brothers Christmas post. I am @Themoonlitnook on both Instagram and Tiktok.
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Disclaimer- Pratt Brothers Christmas provided this experience to us for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.
