Ridgell Holiday Train Garden, Dec. 9th — Every Holiday Season Jason Ridgell of Souza Law (https://souzalaw.com/professionals/jason-c-ridgell/) and his father build and showcase their model trains in a unique set up. This started when Jason was a child and the set up was only on one 4’x 8’ plywood board. But every year father and son added to it. Then the entire Ridgell family grew to love this tradition and helped in various ways.
Jason’s mother donated her childhood train set and a train Jason’s grandmother’s had when she was given as a child is featured in the display. That train is over 100 years old and still runs. As the display grew and grew, they decided to meet and plan earlier and earlier. Now every year, the odyssey begins on September 1st with their annual planning meeting where they sketch out what they want to do, create new designs, and begin to prepare the space which takes up ¾ of the basement.
Over the years, they also built some of their own structures for the display to include the iconic Domino’s plant, a courthouse, and a replica of the Ridgell Country Store run the Ridgell’s generations ago in St. Mary’s County. Now Jason’s children participate also and they set up days where they open the house for friends and family to come share some Holiday cheer and watch the trains – and the kids are allowed to hit the switches and play engineer to the dozen or so operating trains. It is incredible and the attention to detail is amazing! Showings by invite only so buddy up to this guy before the holiday season is over.
