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The Portola Railroad Days Planning Committee is inviting vendors to take part in the 28th Annual Portola Railroad Days Festival, Aug. 19 through 23. Aug. 20 through 22 marks the 100th anniversary of the first through passenger train operated over the Western Pacific Railway from Salt Lake City to Oakland. This historic date happens to coincide with this year's Portola Railroad Days Festival.
In celebration of the first passenger train The Feather River Express will travel from Emeryville to Portola on Aug. 20, picking up additional passengers at Martinez, Davis and Sacramento. The train will be parked at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola for the weekend and will be open for public viewing.
For information on the Western Pacific Railroad Museum visit www.wplives.org, and for The Feather River Express visit www.traintrips.biz or call 1-800 359-4870.
“This year's event is special,” remarks Donna Mills, event chairman. “It's not often we see a passenger train travel on the freight only Feather River Canyon Route. This one is coming expressly to help us celebrate Portola Railroad Days. We couldn't be more excited!” Regular passenger-train operations through the Canyon ceased in 1970.
Mills said the town plans to “roll out the red carpet” to welcome visitors and the train passengers, just like it did 100 years ago. “Our celebration grows every year. This year we are really focusing on bringing the railroad, the town and its visitors together,” commented Mills.
“We have activities planned for the whole family that will stretch from one end of town all the way to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. We have several shows planned, including a live ‘train robbery,' a classic car show, music, historic slide shows, a parade, train rides, and more. We will have carnival rides and are planning a town-wide scavenger hunt with local merchants.”
The event includes an outdoor art and crafts show. City crews close Commercial Street to automobile traffic so that vendors and pedestrians can have free reign of the entire street for the weekend. Many local merchants host special sidewalk sales. This year event planners will add an art exhibit and auction inside the Feather Community Arts Center.
With this year's Railroad Days holding so much historic importance the planning committee is extending an invitation to food, drink and arts and crafts vendors in California, Oregon and Nevada to sign up for a booth and come to Portola to take part in the celebration.
Vendor applications can be downloaded directly from the Portola Railroad Days Web site at www.portolarailroaddays.com, or call (530) 836-0164 or (530) 832-0446.
In celebration of the first passenger train The Feather River Express will travel from Emeryville to Portola on Aug. 20, picking up additional passengers at Martinez, Davis and Sacramento. The train will be parked at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola for the weekend and will be open for public viewing.
For information on the Western Pacific Railroad Museum visit www.wplives.org, and for The Feather River Express visit www.traintrips.biz or call 1-800 359-4870.
“This year's event is special,” remarks Donna Mills, event chairman. “It's not often we see a passenger train travel on the freight only Feather River Canyon Route. This one is coming expressly to help us celebrate Portola Railroad Days. We couldn't be more excited!” Regular passenger-train operations through the Canyon ceased in 1970.
Mills said the town plans to “roll out the red carpet” to welcome visitors and the train passengers, just like it did 100 years ago. “Our celebration grows every year. This year we are really focusing on bringing the railroad, the town and its visitors together,” commented Mills.
“We have activities planned for the whole family that will stretch from one end of town all the way to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. We have several shows planned, including a live ‘train robbery,' a classic car show, music, historic slide shows, a parade, train rides, and more. We will have carnival rides and are planning a town-wide scavenger hunt with local merchants.”
The event includes an outdoor art and crafts show. City crews close Commercial Street to automobile traffic so that vendors and pedestrians can have free reign of the entire street for the weekend. Many local merchants host special sidewalk sales. This year event planners will add an art exhibit and auction inside the Feather Community Arts Center.
With this year's Railroad Days holding so much historic importance the planning committee is extending an invitation to food, drink and arts and crafts vendors in California, Oregon and Nevada to sign up for a booth and come to Portola to take part in the celebration.
Vendor applications can be downloaded directly from the Portola Railroad Days Web site at www.portolarailroaddays.com, or call (530) 836-0164 or (530) 832-0446.
