Eastside's railroad town kicks up its wheels

The city of Snoqualmie celebrates its railroad and logging history with music, street dances, train rides, a parade and festival this weekend at Railroad Days, hosted by Northwest Railway Museum.

Entertainment starts Friday and continues through Sunday. Saturday is festival day, with a pancake breakfast 7-11 a.m. in the Snoqualmie Fire Station, plus a fun run, food vendors, kids' activities, wagon rides and railroading demonstrations in downtown Snoqualmie. The Seafair Pirates will be in town to ride the train and join in the parade. Local brews from Snoqualmie Falls Brewery are featured at the beer garden 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and kids' root-beer garden noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Kids' activities include events at the depot, a children's entertainment stage and, new this year, inflatable rides and a climbing wall.

Other featured events include all-ages street dances with live music Friday and Saturday, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train-history display and equipment demonstrations Saturday, and a classic-car show Sunday.

Arts at the Depot, a new feature at this year's festival, hosts artists-in-action demonstrations Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Train excursions through the upper Snoqualmie Valley, usually Saturdays and Sundays only, will be operating Friday for the festival. The trains are operating on a shortened route because of recent damage to the tracks near the usual route's stop near the top of Snoqualmie Falls. Completion of the repairs is under way to restore the route as soon as possible and train ticket prices are reduced for the shorter ride.

Snoqualmie Depot, an elaborate Victorian structure built in 1890 in Snoqualmie's historic downtown, houses the state's largest historic train museum year-round and excursions on vintage trains weekends from April through October. This weekend's train rides include a special stop and displays at the new train shed, site of the museum's future Railway History Center addition.

The details

Time: Entertainment, 6 p.m. Friday; street dances, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, 8:45-10 p.m. Saturday; festival events, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; classic car show, entertainment, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

Fun Run: 10K/5K, Kids' 1K, 8:45 a.m. Saturday, registration opens 7 a.m.; $20-$35.

Parade: 11 a.m. Saturday, Railroad Avenue.

Train rides: 11 a.m., 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday; $8/adults, $6/ages 62 and older; $4/ages 2-12.

Location: Snoqualmie Depot and surrounding area, King Street and Railroad Avenue, Snoqualmie.

Getting there: From eastbound Interstate 90, take Exit 27; turn left onto North Bend Way, left on Meadowbrook Way, left on Railroad Avenue (Highway 202) to King Street. Ample free parking on street.

More information: 425-888-3030 or www.trainmuseum.org/rrd/rrdmain.asp.

Madeline McKenzie: 206-464-8245 or mmckenzie@seattletimes.com