The West Nassau Historical Society has set the dates for this year’s 2011 Railroad Days Festival. The two day fund raising event will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 25th and 26th. Major events will be located in and around the historic Callahan Depot which was built in 1881 beside the old Florida Railroad. There will be various food, arts and craft vendors on the grounds both days and train exhibits, a kid’s play area plus live music and entertainment from the front platform. Model train layouts and the Nassau County Record photo contest exhibit will be on display inside the Depot annex. The highlight of the two day festival will be the 6th annual Railroad Days Parade through Callahan led by the Shriners on Saturday, March 26 at 11:00 AM. Cochrane’s Collision Center will again host a classic car show that Saturday at their place of business next to the Depot. Thanks to a donation from Rayonier, this year the Society will open their local history research archive inside the Depot and plant a tree to commemorate the Callahan Centennial. The Historical Society is searching for sponsors and volunteers to help with the festivities. The West Nassau Historical Society is a non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the preservation of Western Nassau County’s rich history and to the maintenance and upkeep of the historic Callahan Depot. www.wnhsfl.homestead.com For additional information on the 2011 Railroad Days Festival or on becoming a volunteer, sponsor, or donor on please call John Hendricks with the West Nassau Historical Society at 904-879-3406. CallahanRRDays@aol.com
2010 Railroad Days Festival in Callahan, Florida
The two day signature fund raising celebration, 2010 Railroad Days Festival, will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 26th and 27th in and around the historic Victorian Style Callahan train station. The West Nassau Historical Society will debut their new museum lighting system and freshly renovated caboose as part of the various events at this year’s 2010 Railroad Days Festival.
Friday Events
On Friday, March 26, 2010, there will be various food and craft vendors on the grounds starting at 12 noon. Mrs. Kate, a local popular folk singer will perform at 4:30 PM Friday, highlighting an afternoon and evening lineup of live entertainment from the front platform. You can also tour the bright red caboose and see the depot’s new lighting system. The Historical Society’s members have been tirelessly reconstructing the former ACL caboose which in 1967 was converted from a 1940s steel box car. The West Nassau Museum of History’s new lighting system inside the depot was made possible by donations from CSX and Rayonier.
Saturday Events
On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the craft and food vendors will reopen at 10 AM. The Shriners will lead a procession of fire trucks, antiques cars and floats in the annual Railroad Days Parade starting at 11:00 AM. A classic car show hosted by Cochrane’s Collision Center will follow the parade. The town of Callahan will host a kids’ play area on the depot grounds and model and scale trains, steam driven engines, Operation Lifesaver and photo contest entries highlight the exhibits. A welcoming and sponsor appreciation ceremony starts on Saturday at 1 PM followed by live entertainment from 3 PM until 8 PM.
For additional information on the 2010 Railroad Days Festival or on becoming a volunteer, sponsor, or donor on please call John Hendricks with the West Nassau Historical Society at 904-879-3406.
The West Nassau Historical Society is a non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the preservation of Western Nassau County’s rich history and to the maintenance and upkeep of the historic Callahan Depot.
A Christmas Carol on IMAX in St Augustine
Disney’s “A Christmas Carol,†starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, will premiere on the largest IMAX screen in northeast Florida Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. The film will be a special engagement at the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater with tickets being $13 for adults with discounts for children, military, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased and additional film information may be found at www.wgv.com.
“A Christmas Carol†is Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind Scrooge of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man. Set around Christmas, the most joyous day of the year, Scrooge realizes the sharp contrast of his own personality.
“A Christmas Carol†is rated PG for scary sequences and scary images and runs one hour and 36 minutes. The film will play at the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater through Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.
The theater also is currently presenting a holiday favorite, “The Polar Express,†on the big screen through Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. The 90-minute animated holiday adventure based on the Caldecott Award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, tells the story of a boy battling with the belief of Santa Claus’ existence and takes audiences on the boy’s extraordinary journey to the North Pole. Tickets for “The Polar Express†are $6 for all ages.
Closed captioning services are available for both holiday films. For all film and ticket information, visit the IMAX Theater section of www.wgv.com.
Additionally, Santa Claus will make appearances at the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater lobby around the holiday films. Santa’s schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Dec. 5Â -Â 10 to 11 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6Â – 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12Â – 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13Â – 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2:30 to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19Â – 12 to 2:30 p.m.
Watch our video from the Disney Train Tour “A Christmas Carol” in Jacksonville, Florida below
The Disney Train Comes to the Coast!
Disney embarked on an interactive 40-city train tour for the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol†back in May, and now the train is reaching us here on the coast. The train will be in Savannah, Georgia on Oct. 13, Jacksonville, Florida on Oct. 20, and Charleston, South Carolina on Oct. 23 – 25, 2009.
(Watch the video from The Disney Train in Jacksonville now!)
The Disney train features four custom-designed vintage rail cars with interactive entertainment. At each train stop along the way, a 3D Theatre will be set up, where visitors can get a sneak peek of the movie and see other exclusive behind-the-scenes materials from the movie. There are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of London, artwork, costumes and props from the film. The capture technology used for the movie will also be demonstrated, and you will even get the opportunity to have your face morph into one of the film’s characters. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.
Pulling Out All the Stops
The train will make 40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. Amtrak locomotives and engineers will lead the four-car Train Tour (plus a private car), across the US, with stops ranging from 1-3 days along the way. Each train station will be themed with holiday decorations, and feature artwork from the film, Christmas Carolers, fun activities for the entire family, and snow!
The grand finale of the train tour takes place at New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30th through November 1st.
At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a Movie Surfer representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get a chance to appear on Disney Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer’s segment, and receive a prize package of exclusive Movie Surfer and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol†gear. ABC television stations across the country will run local promotions. At each stop, visitors will have the chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC and an HP Photosmart wireless printer.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol†opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.
Coastal Train Tour
The first stop on the coast is at the Amtrak Station in Savannah on Tuesday October 13, 2009. Then the train continues to Miami and comes back up to its next stop in our area, Jacksonville. It will be at the Amtrak Station in Jacksonville on Tuesday October 20, 2009. Then the Disney train heads north to Charleston, SC, where it will make a stop at Ansonborough Field, Friday October 23rd – Sunday October 25th, 2009.
Below is the schedule:
SAVANNAH
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
9 AM – 7 PM
Savannah Amtrak Station
2611 Seaboard Coastline Dr
Savannah GA 31415
JACKSONVILLE
OCTOBER 20, 2009
Jacksonville Amtrak Station
3570 Clifford Lane
Jacksonville FL 32209
CHARLESTON
Saturday, October 24, 9 AM – 7 PM
Sunday, October 25, 9 AM – 4 PM
Ansonborough Field
Between Concord & Washington Streets Charleston SC 29401
Railwatch Day in Folkston, Georgia
Love trains? Come to Folkston for Railwatch Days on Saturday April 11, 2009. This event brings train aficionados from all across the country to observe, record and enjoy trains. The railroad junction in Folkston sees more trains passing through than any other railroad junction on the eastern seaboard, so no wonder this is a place to visit for the enthusiasts.
Schedule for the event:
- Free coffee and donuts at the platform at daybreak on Saturday morning.
- Platform ceremony at 10:00 am
- New Town railroad mural dedication at noon
- Using ATCS with the internet – Barry Baines (clinic held at the old depot) at 1:00pm
- Editing your railroad video for YouTube – Danny Harmon (clinic at old depot) at 2:00pm
CSX Signals 201 with Frank DeFalco (clinic held at depot building) at 3:00pm
Burger and Hot Dog cookout at the platform at 6:00 pm
Outdoor slideshow presented by Tom Imlay – Saturday night
Photo Contest – All day at depot – sponsored by the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce ($100 cash prize for best of show)
For more information about the event contact Charlton County Chamber of Commerce at 912-496-2536