17th Annual Manassas Heritage Railway Festival

Train rides, moonbounces, live music, model trains on display, Civil War soldiers and a country cowgirl performing on a unicycle are just a few sites at this year's  Manassas Heritage Railway Festival.

The free event will take place Saturday June 4th from 10am-4pm in Old Town Manassas. The celebration of the nation's first military railroad and the First and Second battles of Manassas will be spread out on Prince William, West and Main streets.

The huge line-up of performances and activities will also be a preview of the upcoming 15oth Civil War commemoration. Kicking things off the day before the festival will be a "living history" of Civil War Re-enactors, who will be setting up camp on the lawn of the Manassas Museum in full civil war era garb.

The soldiers will be performing cavalry, infantry, and drill demonstrations for the public; living historians and authors will also be on site.

What should one expect the day of the event?

Six different model trains will be on display in the Harris Pavilion, while  a variety of rides will be available for children. A kiddie stage will accompnay the main stage, which will feature performances by the Bull Run Cloggers and country and bluegrass groups,  Idle Time, SoHo Down and Bull Run Grass.

The Unicycle  Cowgirl will also be performing her amusing routine, and weather permitting, her Boston Terrier, Enzo will be assisting her.

You can also take a ride on the Virginia Railway Express "Excursion" train  that travels from the VRE station in Old Town to Clifton and back. Trains depart from the station at four different times: 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm. Tickets for the train ride are $7 a piece and can be purchased beginning Monday, May 23rd. Children under the age of 2 ride for free.

With all the excitement,  one is sure to get hungry, so here is a list of food vendors and their cuisine that will be at the festival:

• Asia Fusion - Asian bbq pork, grilled vegetables, chicken on a stick and fried rice
• Dylan's Down Home - Savannah wings, battered fries, chili, jalapeno poppers, and Maryland crab soup
• International Grill - Gyros, italian kielbasa, philly cheese steak, corn dogs, French fries, and sodas
• Sherri's Crabcakes - Crabcake sandwiches, lemonade and iced tea
• Senseng Meats - BBQ Chicken; Hot dogs; French fries, and soda

Tickets for the VRE train ride can be purchased at the Manassas Train Depot, Historic Manassas Inc. Main Street office and at Whimsical Galerie on Center Street.

To view the schedule of events visit www.visitmanassas.org or contact them at 703-361-6599.