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Join Friends of the Orange Depot for Depot Day on Oct. 2. (Model train photo courtesy of Orange Depot/George Bohn)
The Depot Day Midway will be open for family fun on Saturday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Orange Train Depot Museum, located at 1210 Green Ave. in Orange. Depot Day is the annual fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the Orange Depot, and all the community is invited.
Children will enjoy the brand-new addition to the Depot: the G gauge Southern Pacific model railroad, which runs around a specially made track on the reception room wall. Volunteers George Bohn and Benny Rhodes, local model railroaders, have been in charge of acquiring the train and mounting the track, which was donated, to the wall.
Entry is free to Depot Day, even for the train rides and all the attractions, because of a generous donation by DOW, during their 75th anniversary celebration. This year, attractions include a kiddie train, bouncy house, petting zoo, balloon artist and pony rides. There will also be musical entertainment by the Orange Community Players and dancing by the Orange Blossom Dancers.
Tours will be conducted inside the depot, where historical exhibits and other surprises will be open to the public. Due to pandemic limitations, only special events have been held in the depot recently.
Food vendors will be featuring hamburgers, Cajun food, ice cream and assorted beverages. Various local vendors will be selling plants, assorted gift items and art inside the depot.
Friends of the Orange Depot members say they are “thankful for the support of the following sponsors: DOW Chemical, First Financial Bank, Capital Title, Claybar Funeral Home, CRC Family Charitable Foundation, JackBuilt, Ironsides, and donors Carol and Robert Sims.”
Parking for the event will be available on the side streets as well as on the lot by Elm and 10th Street. For more information, call Co-chairman Rose Simar at (409) 330-1576, or visit the website at www.orangetxdepot.org.