Buzz: Tampa Train Day returns this Saturday

Christopher Curry | Thursday, May 11, 2023

An ongoing federal study of future Amtrak service bypasses Tampa and Tampa Union Station, the state's second-busiest station, on a proposed Chicago to Florida route. Photo by Jim Langston/ Friends of Union Station

After a three-year layover, Tampa Train Day rolls into Tampa Union Station this Saturday.

The popular event is traditionally held annually on the second Saturday in May to celebrate the anniversary of the historic train station’s opening in May 1912 and our nostalgic love of train travel. But after COVID hit, the event did not happen in the last three years.

This year, Train Day marks the 25th anniversary of the reopening of Union Station after a major renovation. It also comes with another major renovation project in the works. The City of Tampa, which owns the station, is working with the nonprofit Friends of Tampa Union Station group on a $2 million renovation project slated to start this year. The project will repair and modernize the station while preserving the historic character of a building that was saved from demolition and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Tampa Train Day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 13th at Tampa Union Station, 601 N. Nebraska Ave. There will be food trucks and live music by George Pennington, Swallowtail Cousin and Ray Chiaramonte.

Suncoast American Flyer Enthusiasts, Friends of Tampa Union Station, City of Tampa Architectural Review & Historic Preservation, Central Florida LEGO Users Group, Largo Central Railway, Bronson Memorabilia Collection, Florida Railroad Museum, Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, HART/TECO Line Streetcar, West Pasco Model Railroad Association, Far Beyond Rails, Chip Weiner Historic Photography and Florida Garden Railway Society are among the scheduled exhibitors.

For more information, go to Tampa Train Day and Friends of Tampa Union Station.
For prior coverage, go to Tampa Union Station: Transforming a part of downtown’s past into a piece of its future.

Read more articles by Christopher Curry.

Chris Curry has been a writer for the 83 Degrees Media team since 2017. Chris also served as the development editor for a time before assuming the role of managing editor in May 2022. Chris lives in Clearwater. His professional career includes more than 15 years as a newspaper reporter, primarily in Ocala and Gainesville, before moving back home to the Tampa Bay Area. He enjoys the local music scene, the warm winters and Tampa Bay's abundance of outdoor festivals and events. When he's not working or spending time with family, he can frequently be found hoofing the trails at one of Pinellas County's nature parks.