CCRRF Press Release

Central Coast Railroad Festival Adds Concerts, Excursions, Family Events and Model Layout Tours. Major Sponsors Announced for 3rd Annual Festival to Take Place October 6th - 10th


For Immediate Release
September 16, 2011

Contact:
Curtis Reinhardt, Director
Central Coast Railroad Festival
805-773-4173
webmaster@ccrrf.com

Photos available upon request.

For updated Festival information see: www.CCRRF.com

The Central Coast Railroad Festival, set for October 6th to 10th has recently announced additional programs and its 2011 Major Sponsors. Concerts, family events, excursions and model layouts are now confirmed for the upcoming Festival. The Festival staff is happy to announce it 2011 Major Sponsors with Amtrak California and Rabobank continuing their Festival support. The new sponsor this year, the San Luis Obispo Model Railroad Association, is also a major participant. The Cities of San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach are promotional sponsors for the 2011 Festival. KCOY 12 and FOX 11 are the Festival's television media partners.

Model Railroads of Southern California has just announced its 2011 CCRRF layout tour which features operating layouts in Lompoc, Santa Maria, Oceano, Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Morro Bay, Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles. Individual layouts, garden railroads and large club layouts will be included. Complete details can be found on the CCRRF website. Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to ride behind live miniature steamers at Bitter Creek Western Railroad. The Bitter Creek event on Sunday, October 9th, is a fundraiser for the SLO Railroad Museum. A limited number of tickets are now available for sale only online through the SLORRM website. Festival Sponsor the San Luis Obispo Model Railroad Association will host a major run and open house at the Oceano Depot on Sunday.

Don Lampson, the Central Coast Railroad Festival's favorite balladeer, will perform four concerts during the Festival. He will take his crowds on a musical journey, filled with hoboes, rounders, and songs from the American railroad experience. Don grew up in Newhall, a small country town in California. It was just a few blocks from the railroad tracks. He walked through two hobo jungles almost daily on his way to a one room schoolhouse. He was fascinated by the hoboes and the freedom they seemed to have. He would often share the food from his lunchbox with them while listening to their stories. They have been a powerful influence on his imagination for a long, long, time. He will perform at each of the three Festival Hotels as well as at the SLO Freight House event on Saturday afternoon. The free hotel shows will be followed by informal circles of attendees swapping railroad and hobo stories. Don will play with special guests at his Freight House and Pismo Beach shows. Don's performances at the Festival Hotels are as follows: Friday at 6:00pm at Paso Robles? La Quinta Inn & Suites, Saturday at 6:00pm at the SLO Quality Suites and at 4:00pm on Sunday at the Sea Venture Resort in Pismo Beach.

There will be family programs galore during the Festival. On Thursday the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum and the Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum will present a special event featuring children's hands on activities and visits to restored rail cars. On Saturday a special family train party and Pacific Surfliner ride takes place. The party will happen at the Grover Beach Amtrak Platform and the train ride will go from there to San Luis Obispo and back. This event is partially sponsored by the regional Univision-Entravision TV network. Also on Saturday the SLO City-County Library will co-sponsor several events including a model boxcar kit building class for youngsters, an afternoon kiddie train party with music and Amtrak gifts and a family railroad film in the evening. On Sunday the Friends of the Price House in Pismo Beach present their annual Ice Cream Social and Open House with ice cream, kiddie train rides and Price Canyon railroad history presentations.

The Festival will again sponsor Wine/Train Excursions between Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. The trips will include a one-way ride up the Cuesta Grade on the Amtrak Coast Starlight and visits to rail-themed wineries. The Sunday afternoon trip will depart from Paso Robles and the Monday trip will originate in SLO. Tickets and details are available online through the CCRRF website.

At the Third Annual Festival attendees will be able to celebrate rail's history and future while experiencing many special programs. Most Festival events will be free and all will be fun and very family friendly. Special hotel packages will be available for visitors who wish to spend several days on the Central Coast attending the Railroad Festival and exploring the area's beaches, wineries and other special attractions. Further information on the Central Coast Railroad Festival, including the updated schedule of events, a list of participating organizations and an email notification sign up, can be found at www.CCRRF.com or by calling the Festival office at 805-773-4173.

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Contact:
Curtis Reinhardt, Director
Central Coast Railroad Festival
805-773-4173
webmaster@ccrrf.com