Train sparks wonder

Prompted by the success of last year’s event, Costa Mesa real estate broker Weichman Associates turned the Fairview Park train station into a winter wonderland for a second time.

More than 1,000 people came out Saturday afternoon to ride the train to Santa’s Village — a makeshift cluster of activities including face painting, cookie decorating and photos with Santa Claus.

This year, for the first time, the event partnered with the Costa Mesa Fire Department through ABC7’s Spark of Love campaign to collect toys for needy children.

Large boxes of toys were donated by those who came, along with a number of gift certificates, according to organizer and real estate broker Kurt Galitski.

“It was exciting because a lot of people that came were willing to pay or donate money to the train station or the Spark of Love campaign just because it’s such a great event,” Galitski said.

The Fire Department gathered the toys into trucks and will be distributed during the holiday season. Weichman hopes to make the partnership an annual tradition, and has already started talking with the Fire Department to make it happen.

— Alan Blank