BELHAVEN — For Belhaven resident Don Stark, model railroads have always been a fascination. Ever since he was a little boy, toy trains have been a part of his Christmas tradition. Waking up on Christmas morning, he and his brother would see not only gifts from Santa under the tree, but model railroads erected by his parents, who were also enthusiasts.

Now, many years later, Stark continues to share that passion each Christmas in Belhaven during the annual Toy Trains of Belhaven exhibit. The grand display of model railroading, which contains more than 350 feet of track, 100 houses and buildings and a variety of other whimsical features, will hold its grand opening for the season this Saturday. Now in its seventh year, Stark says the event came about in 2011 from a desire to make something special happen during the holidays in Belhaven.

“We had just gone through Hurricane Irene, and the town hall was available for use, but it was in pretty bad shape,” Stark said. “So we set up a small display for a weekend. We were open for four days, and people really liked it. That worked so well, we decided to do it again. The next year, we had a little bigger display, and it just kind of grew from there.”

In the past seven years, the event has come to be a time-honored tradition in Belhaven, with donated materials adding to the display each year. Stark says a number of locals volunteer their time to carry on the event, making each exhibit bigger and better. These volunteers have been especially critical this year, as the old town hall was flooded with more than 40 inches of water during Hurricane Florence.

“This year, we had 42 inches of water through there during the hurricane, so the display tables were all underwater,” Stark said. “We’ve had a lot of extra work to do this year to repair the room where we display and then replace a lot of things on the display itself. So we’ve started from scratch.”

While the hurricane dealt a serious setback to this year’s display, the event continues on schedule. Stark says this recovery would not have been possible without the team of volunteers who devoted their time to the cause. With their help, the tradition will continue to delight young and old this holiday season.

“People kind of get the spark when they’re young,” Stark said. “They can see what can be created, and I think we do some good in inspiring people to try to get involved.”

This year’s display is erected in honor of Belhaven resident Jimmy Courson, who died earlier this year. An avid model railroader and boat builder, Courson has acted as a supervisor and advisor to the Toy Train display throughout its existence. A building in the display has even been dubbed “Jimmy Courson Boatworks” in his honor.

Toy Trains of Belhaven will have its grand opening on Saturday. The display is available for viewing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in December plus Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. Hours are Fridays from 1 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m., Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. On Dec. 26, the hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted and will go toward the restoration of the historic Southern Railways caboose owned by the town of Belhaven. The exhibit is located at 215 E. Main Street, Belhaven.