The Central Coast Railroad Festival kicks off Oct. 4 

The time to celebrate one of the most influential entities to shape the Central Coast is almost upon us: The 14th annual Central Coast Railroad Festival.

From Oct. 4 to 6, the festival will celebrate the Central Coast's vibrant history of trains and their tracks by hosting events at several locations throughout San Luis Obispo County and Northern Santa Barbara County.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Jamie Foster
• CHOO-CHOO The Central Coast Railroad Festival from Oct. 4 to 6 is planning family-friendly events across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties at venues that include the train depot in Oceano.

"The railroads brought business, meaning prosperity, to practically every place on the Central Coast. Places took off as the railroads worked their way down from the north or up from the south, and we were kind of in the middle of that growth," Railroad Festival Chair Jamie Foster said. "When the railroad came to town, it was boomtimes, and that's generally the idea. We have museums and depots and model railroads and railroad-themed wineries, railroad-themed restaurants."

While the festival will have exciting events throughout the weekend—including tours of 20 different Central Coast Model Railroad Layouts, photos, videos, and museum tours to help explain the history—the real fun will start on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Foster said on Oct. 5, attendees can expect to be greeted by a variety of vendors at the SLO Railroad Museum, including Schnittker Photography that will offer tintype photos and have an operating telegraph on display.

"Two businesses at the Paso Robles Historic Train Depot will welcome festivalgoers, Cypher Winery and Junction Tapas and Wine Bar," he said. "The SLO Railroad Museum will have new exhibits for view and the museum's world-class model railroad, which has developed substantially."

Community members will also get the chance to take Amtrak, departing from the SLO Railroad Museum at 11 a.m. and heading to Santa Barbara, then take a van to Municipal Winemakers in Santa Barbara. From there, participants will be offered a one-hour wine tasting and enjoy free time to explore the area until 5:30 p.m. when the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will depart from the Santa Barbara Train Station and return to SLO around 9 p.m. Tickets are $129 per person. Find more information on the Railroad Festival's website at slorrm.com/ccrrf/index.html.

"We will also have our third annual SLO Railroad Museum Photo Contest with a first prize of $100," Foster said. "People can submit railroad pictures of the Central Coast, which is roughly defined as SLO and Northern Santa Barbara counties, and we're looking for pictures that would make people interested in learning more about it or visiting the area. We also added a new category this year, for model railroad photographs."

Foster said photo submissions are due Sept. 15 and winners will be announced during a presentation on Oct. 5 at the museum. Along with the cash prize, the winner's photo will hang in the museum for one year.

The event will be family-friendly and will host activities for kids to get involved, Foster said.

Starting at any SLO County Library location, children up to 12 years old can participate in a free coloring contest where the winner can win five round-trip Amtrak tickets from SLO to Santa Barbara.

Parents can pick up coloring pages at a library and turn the colored pages back in by Sept. 30 to be entered into the drawing. Foster said the winner will be announced at the SLO Railroad Museum on Oct. 5 at 2:15 p.m., and the winner doesn't need to be present to win.

Following that presentation, the SLO Children's Museum will have a rail-themed area with toys and activities for children 4 and younger.

"When it comes to the history of railroading in the area, what things have been touched, there's almost no end to the potential participants that we have with this festival," he said. "It's also just a beautiful area to come visit."

Fast facts

• The Mac & Cheese Fest returns to Avila Beach on Aug. 24 from 2 to 6 p.m. Bring a friend and enjoy the classic comfort food from more than 25 talented chefs, restaurants, and caterers on the Central Coast. The event will offer beers, wines, and spirits from local wineries and breweries, and live music will play all afternoon. The event is for adults 21 years and older. Don't forget to vote for your favorite mac and cheese. For more information, visit themacandcheesefest.com. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Samantha Herrera at [email protected].