Corporate Support
Shining Star, Gold and Silver support
Our Shining Star ($10,000), Gold ($5,000) and Silver ($2,500) supporters are the engine that power our event. These lead supporters are promoted throughout the event and are provided with complimentary tickets, access to purchase additional tickets and VCTF will donate tickets in your name to local children’s organizations.
Click HERE to review benefits at these levels of support.
Before making your donation, please contact Amanda Ahmadi at amanda@vtchildrenstrust.org.
To make your corporate gift, click here.
Polar Express Ticket Auction!
Other ways to get tickets
We are grateful for all of the families that have supported the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation throughout the years as attendees of our Polar Express event. As many of you know, the Polar Express is our main fundraiser- enabling VCTF to support important prevention programs for children across Vermont. We hope that you will take a moment to read about the programs that you help to support here!
The demand for Polar Express tickets has grown exponentially over the past few years and in an effort to provide greater access to tickets for everyone, we will continue to evolve our ticketing process to reach as many families as possible. Most significantly, we are reserving hundreds of tickets to be sold to the general public with the hope that families who have not been able to ride in the past, will have an opportunity to do so. We expect the demand for these tickets to be greater than the allotment and will select names randomly from those who express an interest. You can put your name on the wait list HERE.
2026 POLAR EXPRESS DATES: DECEMBER 5th and 6th, 2026
- 2026 Polar Express tickets are $40 per person.
- There is a limit of five tickets per order.
- Children under 2, sitting in a lap do not need a ticket.
Those who donate $250 or more to VCTF are our most generous supporters. Tickets to the Polar Express are limited at this time. If you make a donation and are unable to find tickets for your preferred train, please reach out to Amanda Ahmadi at amanda@vtchildrenstrust.org. To make your Bell Ringer donation, click here.
Over 700 tickets will be made available without donation to the general public. We will randomly select individuals from a list of those interested and provide a window of time to purchase tickets. If you wish to be placed on this list, please click here. We began choosing names from the wait list in mid-September, and will continue to do so until the Polar Express is sold out.
Volunteers: This event is not possible without the 700+ volunteers who help to bring the magic of the North Pole to Burlington, Vermont. Although we would love to have more volunteers for the Polar Express we are no longer able to offer tickets to volunteers.
*** You will receive further updates and a link to purchase tickets via email. Please do not unsubscribe or you may miss your opportunity to purchase tickets!
Donated tickets: Through our sponsors and generous donors, we are able to donate hundreds of tickets to organizations serving children in Vermont. Thank you!
Thank you!! There is much good that comes from this event and it wouldn’t be possible without all of you. As always, we are happy to answer your questions and welcome your feedback. For those who have made this ride a family tradition, and for those who have never taken part, we invite you to watch this short video created by Lot7 Media which captures the essence of VCTF’s Polar Express.
If you have questions about The Polar Express, please check our Frequently Asked Questions page here or email us at info@vtchildrenstrust.org.
VCTF is proud to be partnering with Seed & Sew to offer sensory friendly options on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride 2026.
On Saturday, 12/5 at 11:35 a.m., one train car will provide a sensory inclusive version of our event. You may read about the differences you can expect on this train car by clicking on the links below. If you decide this would be a better option for your family, please visit the Seed & Sew website HERE.