Web posted
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Train festival kicks off today
After months of planning, the first railroad festival is finally here. There are a few events held around the county, but most are in Arkansas City.
The festival's key event in Ark City is called Family Fun Days. It will be a free event in Wilson Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Activities on both days will include speakers on Cowley County's rail history, games for kids and a mini-train show featuring model train displays.
For the kids, there will be a Thomas the Train Moonwalk, carnival games, amusement park size steam engine and diesel locomotive, an oral history project, crafts, speeder cars and hobo clowns.
Inside the rotunda, Nick Rogers will serve as emcee.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Robert Frahm will talk about the interurban railway that used to link Winfield and Ark City. Frahm is affiliated with the Great Plains Transport Museum.
Donnie Huffman and his band will play railroad-themed music at 1 p.m. Saturday.
A story hour for kids will occur at 3 p.m. Saturday. At 3:30 p.m., passenger rail proponent Even Stair will discuss an initiative to extend the Heartland Flyer Amtrak service from Oklahoma City north through Ark City and Winfield, Wichita and on to Kansas City, Mo.
On Sunday at 10 am., Kansas State professor Michaeline Chance-Reay will give a talk on the old Harvey House restaurants that used to serve rail passengers on Santa Fe stops. The talk is entitled "Harvey Girls: It All Started at Topeka."
A Railroaders Reunion will be held Saturday evening at the Best Western Atrium Gardens in Ark City. The reunion will include a meal prepared by the Landing Strip Restaurant.
Local author Robert Collins will tell some railroad tales and Stair, leader of the Northern Flyer Alliance initiative, will present more details on the plan to bring passenger rail service back to Cowley County. More than 50 people have signed up for this event, which is sold out.
Other communities participating in the celebration of railroading are Atlanta, Burden and Dexter.
Authentic Harvey House luncheons can be enjoyed on Saturday at the Gathering Place in Dexter and the Senior Center in Atlanta.
The meal at the Gathering Place will be served from 11-2.
The Gathering Place will welcome "railroad patrons" once again in the spirit of days gone by, organizers say. A few "real characters" will meet, greet and serve luncheon guests.
A Black Dog Story Teller re-enactor, Shirley Lindly will portray a Mrs. Williamson who had an exciting train ride around the turn of the century.
The Atlanta Caboose Museum and the Burden Museum will be open during the reunion. T-shirts commemorating the first annual event are available.
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