Northern Michigan RailRoad Club Festival Of Trains

History:

The Festival of Trains has been an annual holiday tradition in Traverse since 1991. Dave Walker and Rick Antosh, who are considered to be the “Founding Fathers”, began the festival in the Traverse City Opera House. The FOT was a major fundraiser for the renovations at the Opera House and it quickly became a significant attraction for the Traverse City area. When the renovations began in 2002, much to the dismay of hundreds of children (and adults) throughout Northern Michigan, the Festival of Trains shut down due to not having a suitable venue anymore.

In 2003, thanks to the help of The Northern Michigan RailRoad Club, the FOT was reborn at the Historic Carnegie Library on 6th Street, now home to the Crooked Tree Art Center, and formerly known as the Traverse Area Historical Society. The Northern Michigan RailRoad Club had been the primary exhibitor at the FOT since the club’s inception in 2003. Many or our members were also involved with the FOT prior to the existence of the Club at the City Opera House.

The 2021 FOT will be moving to a new venue at the First Christian Church on W. South Airport Road next to Best Buy. The reason for the move is to provide more space for layouts with increased parking for over 300 cars.

With nearly 6,000+ visitors each year, the FOT is now one of the largest fundraisers for Traverse City charities and is currently partnering with The Children’s Museum and the First Christian Church of Traverse City.