Nearly 200 youngsters took a ride on the "Polar Express" event that happened Friday night at Franklin Elementary School.

As the families filed into the room, they took part in a variety of activities that ended with snacks and a visit with Santa Claus. As they walked across the train tracks to the first station, which is where they decorated a bag with stampers that were hand carved by Kristen Gelataka. The bag would hold the rest of the evening's activities that they made.Then they made a ticket on the Polar Express by putting a string in their ticket that also held a jingle bell. Then they made snowman soup, which is hot chocolate, marshmallows and a candy cane.On to the next station they made reindeer food, which is where they sprinkled glitter on oatmeal that they were advised to sprinkle on the ground on Christmas Eve to attract Santa and his reindeer to their home. They then went on to make a hobo ornament, a mitten or a stocking.The event was coordinated by the Franklin Elementary PTO.