Railway Festival, Other Weekend Events Coming to Downtown

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Can you hear the far-off whistle? Can you feel the rumble as the train lumbers down the tracks? Get ready! The 21st Annual Manassas Heritage Railway Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Historic Downtown Manassas.

This is a family-friendly celebration of railroad history. There will be live performances on two stages - Folsom Prisoners, Justin Trawick and High Grass Bluegrass Band are a few of the performers lined up for the day.

Enjoy great food and lots to see and do. Take a train ride on a VRE train with a princess or two for $6 a ticket, or peruse the memorabilia and the model trains at the Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St.

Steam Engine To Visit City

On Saturday and Sunday, the inaugural trips of the 611 Steam Train will roll through the city. Norfolk & Western 611 will pull passengers from Manassas to Front Royal and back.

This is part of the Norfolk Southern railroad’s 21st Century Steam program. Owned by the Virginia Museum of Transportation, 611 recently underwent a massive restoration after more than two decades in retirement.

The steam engine will be available for photos near the Harris Pavilion after its Saturday trip. To purchase tickets, visit fireup611.org/event/the-american.

More Events on Friday, Sunday

• From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, come out to First Friday in Historic Downtown. The First Friday for June will feature corn hole playing and corn hole tournaments throughout downtown, plus great food and wonderful shops.
• On Sunday, get ready for the Taste of Historic Manassas from noon to 4:30 p.m. This annual event will transform Historic Downtown Manassas into a lively festival with local entertainment and lots of great food.

For more information on these and other events in the city of Manassas, visit www.visitmanassas.org.