One more place to buy VRE excursion tickets for festival

The telephone at Historic Manassas Inc. has been ringing off the hook for over a week with callers asking the same question: “Is there someplace else besides the Old Town Visitors Center that I can buy Virginia Railway Express Excursion train tickets for the Manassas Heritage Railway Festival?”

For those of you who don’t want to wait in the often-long lines that form at the center, HMI is happy to answer, “Yes, at the Whimsical Galerie.”

Coming up on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the festival features the much-anticipated VRE excursion train to Clifton and back.

Sponsored by Northwest Federal Credit Union at Signal Hill, the excursions run on the hour between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. with each trip lasting about 40 minutes. Tickets are $6 and must be purchased in person. Children younger than 2 ride for free.

In the past, tickets had to be purchased only at the Visitor’s Center in the Old Town train depot, which closes at 5 p.m.

Working parents will be pleased to know that tickets are now also available at the Whimsical Galerie. The shop is open until 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The festival has been an Old Town tradition for 15 years, featuring nine elaborate model train displays, a Thomas the Tank Engine kiddie train, live country and bluegrass bands throughout the day, a kids’ stage with both professional and local talent, food concessions and rides and vendors of “railroadiana.“