PRESTON — Hydeaway Wagon Rides in Preston offers an unforgettable Christmas experience that is the perfect weekend family excursion this holiday season. What is now a 15-year tradition, Melissa Ward and Mike Hyde are excited to provide a horse-drawn carriage ride through their farm featuring Christmas lights, decorations, Santa Claus, and hot cocoa.

“We’ve got lights all throughout our farm, and then out in the back-field we’ve got probably around 100 wooden cartoon characters,” Hyde said.

Hyde described what a ticket for one of their holiday rides would entail.

“We’ve got booths where you can get hot chocolate,” Hyde said. “Santa Claus will be here every night so you can get your picture taken with him, and we’ve got three or four big heaters, a couple of fire pits and one tent with a wood-burning stove so you can sit and relax and still stay warm. I think we will bring a lot of joy to people.”

Hydeaway Wagon Rides offers services beyond this Christmas season.

“We do our Christmas rides, but we’ve also got a hearse to do funerals and carriages to do weddings. A lot of people will just have parties and want to have us haul them around,” Hyde said.

Ward shared what makes working with their business special.

“We don’t charge a lot to do it, and we try to go out of our way to make things extra special,” she said. “A lot of the times when we do events, we put together a YouTube clip for everything that we do and put a video together for them to go back on and see.”

Ward said her favorite part of running her business is “to see and meet new people and see new places, and to make that special touch for everybody.”

Hydeaway Wagon Rides Christmas event used to take place down Main Street in Preston but is now on their farm “to kind of give it that more special and more memorable experience. We give more to offer than just down Main Street,” Ward said.

One Google reviewer describes their experience at Hydeaway Wagon Rides as “a great time, (they) highly recommend any family or group to experience this fun tradition! Mike and Melissa are fantastic and will do anything for you! The help is awesome as well! All in all, definitely a fun Christmas activity!”

Another reviewer describes it as “an amazing experience! So much fun and a great way to see the lights. Definitely will be back to do it again!”

The opening day for Christmas rides is Dec. 1 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and will continue throughout December on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1055 West and 4000 South in Preston. Admissions cost $9 for adults, $7 for kids, and children 2 years old and under are free.

To learn more about Hydeaway Wagon Rides and when the rest of their Christmas events are, check their Facebook or Instagram @hydeawaywagon_rides, their website at hydeawaywagonrides.wixsite.com/hydeawaywagonrides, or contact Hyde at 208-406-1122.