Aiken celebrates National Train Day with downtown festivities

Colin Demarest, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·1 min read

May 8—The City of Aiken celebrated National Train Day on Saturday with a family friendly festival at the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum.

The visitors center and nearby park were bustling with kids and parents, activities and vendors. The Pot Smoker BBQ served up meals, Whipped Creamery dished out desserts, face painters made masterpieces and young artists colored the sidewalks with mounds of free chalk.

Folksy tunes from a live jam session filled the air, as did the distinct sounds of a rideable train — arguably the main attraction. The ride queue snaked through the festival throughout the day.

"Everybody's wanting to get out," Tourism Supervisor Mary Rosbach said. "This is the big hit."

National Train Day was launched by Amtrak in 2008 as a means to educate people about railway travel and its history in the U.S.

Aiken's celebration was made possible with help from the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot board.