Over Memorial Day weekend, Saturday May 24th through Monday, May 26th , Queens Botanical Garden will host a World’s Fair Train Show created by the Long Island Garden Railway Society, Inc. (LIGRS). The Society is one of dozens of organizations across the country that present model railroad layouts placed outside, usually winding through a garden setting. Garden Railroading is sometimes described as the marriage of model railroading and gardening.

The World’s Fair Train Show will feature fully working “G” scale model trains traveling a track around a scaled-down Unisphere and other iconic features from the ’64 World’s Fair. A popular attraction was the Civil War engine, “The General.” QBG’s Train Show will include a replica of The General, along with other period train cars. The trains will be in operation from 10am to 5pm on all three days.

Opening day, Saturday May 24th, will be especially festive. The whole family is invited to enjoy food vendors, face painting, games, and “trackless train” rides which will run around select parts of the garden (additional fee applies).

John Yao & His 17- Piece Instrument will cap off Saturday’s activities with a concert beginning at 4:00pm. Yao, a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, is a composer, trombonist, and arranger specializing in jazz fusion style. He and his ensemble have performed extensively throughout the region to great acclaim. This performance is co-sponsored by the Kupferberg Center for the Arts.
The World’s Fairs were signature events which forever changed the borough of Queens and spawned more than half of the county’s major cultural institutions, including the Garden. The Fair’s anniversaries are the opportunity to recall these events that shaped our landscape, and this train show is just one of the many events planned by Queens’ cultural organizations to celebrate. The 1964 New York World’s Fair in particular remains a fond memory for many Borough residents, as it showcased the optimism and progress of the time, as well as introducing visitors to the culture of the many emerging nations who sent representatives. Not coincidentally, President Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 just weeks after the Fair closed, and the borough was transformed with vibrant diversity as the world made Queens its destination.

“I have wonderful memories from the ‘64 Fair and I would think most feel the same who were there,” said Danny Saporito, President of the LIGRS. “This is real local history both 50 and 75 years. I think the community would want to promote the anniversary and I hope they do.”

We look forward to sharing this event with the community and would love to see it covered by your organization. ‘)}