After being absent from the calendar since 2019, National Train Day Toledo returns on Saturday, May 14 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza.
This will be the first Toledo Train Day event in three years, as the event has been postponed the past two thanks to COVID. The 12th edition of the event in 2019 celebrated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
The 13th edition of Train Day will, as always, be a family friendly event. Attendees will get to experience a collection of model trains, children’s workshops, the rail art of Craig Staufer, food trucks and much more.
A series of speakers will also appear at the event, including Rick Hamish, head of the High Speed Rail Alliance, Richard Rudolph, chair of the national Rail Users Network, and Stu Nicholson, Executive Director of All Aboard Ohio.
Live music will also be on hand, with performances from the Cake Walkin’ Band, the Irish band Toraigh and Kim Buehler and Friends. A free raffle will be held for a pair of Amtrak tickets for any destination on the Lake Shore or Capitol Limited.
Those interested in taking home a bit of railroad memorabilia will find plenty of models, books and more on sale from a variety of vendors, and history will be front and center with displays by the Toledo Library and other organizations. Exhibits will also celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Lake Shore Limited.
There is no charge for admission or parking, and children who bring in a colored picture from the Toledo Library can get a free ride on the Romick Railroad children’s train. There is a small fee to ride the children’s train for any child without a picture.
For more information, visit facebook.com/NationalTrainDayToledo.