Home > Central Coast Railroad Festival

Celebrate a pioneering spirit, historical
innovations and the romance of life on the rails

It’s not just a festival, it’s the perfect excuse to experience all of San Luis Obispo. This is the weekend to celebrate the SLO Freight House Grand Re-Opening, join in fun kid’s events or listen to live music by balladeer Don Lampson. And when in SLO you have to check out the nearby beaches, visit iconic Hearst Castle and do some wine tasting at some of the best-kept secrets in the wine business. So many things to do, so little time.

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Some fun facts about a glorious past

California Train Trivia: 20s & 30s
Back in the 1920s and 30s, the Hollywood elite would take a train up the coast to spend the weekends at Hearst Castle, just 40 minutes from San Luis Obispo. After traveling most of Friday night, Hearst's celebrity guests were picked up at the San Luis Obispo train station and driven north to San Simeon. These Hollywood guests—usually two or three dozen—would then begin a non-stop party that would culminate in another train ride home in order to be on their movie sets Monday morning.

40s & 50s
By the 50’s, the Golden Age of cocktail cars and railroad romance was coming to an end but, WWII and the steady transport of troops gave our trains one last breath. By 1950 passenger train travel was all but kaput. They tried glitzy advertising and mega-mergers but no matter how hard railroads tried to lure passengers it was all for not. People were hooked on the automobile.

The 60’s and beyond
The 60s would set the stage for the disaster of the 70s as the industry fell into disrepair. Train travel was on life-support. On May 1, 1971 a new company would save the day, it was called Amtrak. However, ridership remained low and trains barely survived until now. The post 9/11 era and the recent gas crisis has given people a new reason to consider the train and California has done a magnificent job in marketing it.

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If you’d like to receive more news about events, weekend getaway deals and packages, and insider tips – sign up for Secret of SLO Newsletter. And by signing up, you will also get a chance to win a FREE 2 night stay in SLO!




Terms and Conditions for 2-night Stay Giveaway

Prize: 2-night stay in one room at any hotel listed on SanLuisObispoVacations.com. A new winner will be chosen each month from January 2011-December 2011.

Prize restrictions: Prize is valid for a one-time stay (2 consecutive nights) during the calendar year 2011 and is subject to the availability of participating hotels. Prize does NOT include air or ground transportation, food and beverage or any other expenses incurred during the free stay. Winner will be subject to all the rules and conditions set by Rosetta (contest organizers). Winner will be held responsible for any damages that occur to the property during their stay.

Rules:

  • No purchase is necessary for this promotion. The promotion begins January 1, 2011 and will run through December 2011.
  • All participants must be 18 or older to participate and must have a valid identification and email address. All employees of LEVEL Studios, the City of San Luis Obispo and participating hotels are not eligible to participate in the promotion.
  • Contestants must sign up for the SanLuisObispoVacations.com newsletter to be eligible to win. One winner will be randomly selected from the list of email newsletter recipients each month. Once members are signed up for the SanLuisObispoVacations.com newsletter, they will be automatically entered in each monthly drawing.
  • Only one winner may be selected per household over the course of the entire contest.
  • Each monthly drawing will occur on the final Friday of the month.
  • Winners will be notified via email within 3 days of the drawing.
  • Prize does not include the cost of travel to or from San Luis Obispo or any other costs beyond the hotel room nightly rate for 2 nights.
  • Winners are responsible for any additional charges incurred during the course of the stay at their desired hotel, including damage charges to the room. You may be required to leave a credit card with your chosen hotel upon check in to cover incidental damages, although it will not be charged for the actual nightly room rate.
  • If contest organizer is not able to contact winner within 12 days, the winner is no longer eligible for the prize.
  • Upon acceptance of the prize, winner will select the hotel of their choice listed on the “Find a Hotel” page of SanLuisObispoVacations.com. Subject to room availability, contest organizers will coordinate with the winners to handle the booking of the desired room. Every reasonable effort will be made to find the most accommodating room available.
  • In some monthly drawings, there may be additional prize packages included with the 2-night hotel stay. Any bonus prizes will be announced on SanLuisObispoVacations.com. If there are not bonus prizes announced for a particular month, that month’s winner will not receive anything other than the 2-night stay.
  • Contest organizer reserves the right to use the name of the winner in marketing and promotional materials.
  • Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
  • Federal, state and local taxes, if any, are the responsibility of the winner.
  • Contest organizer reserves the right to cancel or modify the program without prior notification.
  • By participating, entrants agree to be bound by the rules of this promotion. This promotion is governed by, and these rules will be construed and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the State of California.
  • Participant and winner agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the various states of the United States of America.
  • By accepting the prize, winner agrees to release LEVEL Studios and the City of San Luis Obispo, their directors, employees, officers and agents from any and all liability, loss or damages arising out of or in connection with the awarding, receipt, use or misuse of the prize.