FOR MORE INFORMATION: On Site Contact: Robert Bell, [email protected] Local Media Contact: Nicole Anllo, [email protected], 860‐992‐7571 DKC Public Relations & Integrated Marketing: Sarah Gumina, [email protected], 310‐714‐0350 READY, SET…GO, GO THOMAS! A LARGER THAN LIFE TRAIN FOR THE RIDE OF THEIR LIFE Thomas The Tank Engine™ Pulls Into Essex Steam Train & Riverboat April 27 – 28 and May 4 – 5 For Family Favorite Day Out With Thomas™: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 Essex, CT April 27 ‐ 28 May 4 ‐ 5 – All aboard for a Day Out With Thomas! The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, a local historical attraction in the Connecticut River Valley, will host Day Out With Thomas™: The GO GO Thomas Tour 2013 on April 27‐28 and May 4‐5, 2013. This family‐friendly event offers young train fans and their families the unique opportunity to take a ride with the classic storybook character, Thomas the Tank Engine™ and enjoy a day of music, carnival rides, midway food and fun, all at a real, historic railroad yard. Bring your preschoolers to take the ride of their lives! Seen on the pages of favorite storybooks, in playrooms, and on the television screen, Thomas the Tank Engine™ is adored by little engineers everywhere. The event, now in its 18th year, is presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by MEGA Brands, a leading toy company, and all‐inclusive Hard Rock Hotels. The day starts out with a free shuttle train ride from the parking lot (located at 55 Bokum Road Essex, CT) to Essex Station. Families can then hop aboard Thomas the Tank Engine™ for an exciting 25‐minute train ride filled with music. Children will enjoy meeting characters from the Thomas the Tank Engine™ storybook series, and Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway on the Island of Sodor. When your ride with Thomas ends, spend the rest of the day at the Essex Steam Train’s authentic railroad yard for a complementary tour of the engine house and enjoy a free interactive music show by LaLa, the local children’s musician known for her "Music Together" program. The railroad yard will also offer free carnival rides, temporary tattoos, various play areas, storybook reading and coloring crafts at Imagination Station. Fried dough, ice cream, hot dogs, cheeseburgers and other midway food will also be available for purchase on site. Thomas the Tank Engine rides depart every 45 minutes, rain or shine. Departure times begin at 9:00 am through 3:30 pm each day of the event. Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 are $21 plus tax for ages two and up. Tickets are on sale now by calling toll‐free 866.468.7630 or logging onto www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html. For more information and directions, contact the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat at 860‐767‐0103 or www.essexsteamtrain.com. For general information or to find a Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 event near you, visit www.thomasandfriends.com/dowt. Guests are welcome to follow the Essex Steam Train on Twitter (@EssexSteamTrain) for updates and use the hashtag #ThomasEssex to share feedback, photos and questions. Other Important Links: Watch a Video of Thomas at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat: youtu.be/BaPazRkUWXw Buy Tickets directly: ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=16052&pl=thomas13. About the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Owned and operated by the Valley Railroad Company, the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat is a unique historic attraction in the Connecticut River Valley. The Valley Railroad Company has been in existence since 1868, and has operated today’s well‐known train and riverboat for over 40 years. The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat transports people on exciting excursions through the unspoiled Connecticut River Valley, a place designated as "one of the last great places on earth" by the Nature Conservancy. The steam locomotive pulls vintage coaches through the quintessential New England towns of Deep River and Chester, and the historic Becky Thatcher riverboat takes passengers on a 1¼‐ hour cruise along the Connecticut River, past serene coves, marshes and historic sights including Gillette Castle, Goodspeed Opera House, and the Haddam Swing Bridge. The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat offers various excursions and family themed events throughout the year. For more information visit essexsteamtrain.com or connect with the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat on social media: facebook.com/steamtrain97 and twitter.com/essexsteamtrain. About Thomas & Friends™ Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son over 65 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends makes tracks to great destinations on PBS KIDS®, Sprout® and with downloadable episodes available through iTunes. For more information, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com. Follow Thomas on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomasandfriends and Twitter @TrueBlueEngine. About HIT Entertainment HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading preschool entertainment companies, specializing in building powerful brands based on engaging stories. HIT Entertainment’s world‐class portfolio includes Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam®, Bob the Builder, Barney®, Angelina Ballerina®, Pingu® and Rainbow Magic®. HIT Entertainment excels at creating and building globally successful brands which capture the hearts and imaginations of preschoolers and their families. This is achieved through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality character‐based products and experiences with best‐in‐class partners. HIT Entertainment’s lines of business span television and home entertainment production, content distribution, digital media, publishing, consumer products and live events and attractions. HIT Entertainment is a division of Fisher‐Price and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. For more information visit www.hitentertainment.com # # # .