Santa Ferry Ride this Christmas in Middletown

Who needs a train when you’ve got a boat?

This Christmas, for the first time ever, Santa Claus will visit Middletown not by train, but by boat, the township announced Thursday.

The all-new Santa Ferry Ride will be held on Saturday, December 5. Ferry rides are available at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The ride will be aboard the new Molly Pitcher, and include not only Santa and his friends, but also caroling, goodie bags and a scenic view of the Statue of Liberty. Ferries leave and return to the NY Waterway Belford Ferry Terminal at 10 Harbor Way.

You must sign up in advance for the Santa Ferry Ride. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Poricy Park Nature Center, 345 Oak Hill Road. Tickets are only available to Middletown residents Saturday, and they must be purchased in person.

There is a very limited number of tickets available, the township spokeswoman says, so please get to the park early Saturday. Registrants will be assigned a specific seat number at the time of registration. Families that want to sit together must register at the same time.

Tickets for Middletown residents are $17 per person. Children under one are $5. Cash, credit cards and checks accepted. Proof of residency is required for all ticket sales.

Beginning Nov. 16, any remaining tickets will be sold to Middletown residents Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Recreation Office at the Poricy Park Nature Center. Non-residents may purchase any remaining tickets beginning November 23. Tickets for non-residents are $21 per person; children under one are $6.

All riders are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to the Ferry Terminal for Middletown’s Holiday Food Drive. All donations are given to the Middletown Food Pantry.

In previous years, Santa came through Middletown on an NJ Transit train.

Photo credit: Morguefile