About the Event
The Sacramento Valley Garden Railway Society has planned five days of activities for this year’s National Garden Railway Convention. We hope that you will enjoy the planned events and make good use of your free time to explore all that the Sacramento region has to offer. Enjoy farm-to-fork cuisine, Gold Rush-era history, homegrown breweries, wine tasting, street art, museums and our biking and walking trails along 32 miles of the American River Parkway.
Wednesday is a good day to explore the region after visiting layouts from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
On Thursday you can tour more layouts from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. You’ll want to relax a bit afterwards and then head to the Convention Center for the Ice Cream Sundae Social from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Those attending the Ice Cream Sundae Social will get access to the Vendor Hall one hour earlier than everyone else. For everyone else, the Vendor Hall will open at 5:30 pm. The Vendor Hall is also the site of our Model Contest. For those who are bringing entries for the contest, set up is on Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Attendees may begin voting for their favorite entries in seven separate categories at 5:00 pm. Clinics and presentations will be held adjacent to the Vendor Hall from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. The Vendor Hall closes at 9:00 pm.
Friday will start with more layout tours from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. After stopping for lunch, head back to the Vendor Hall to check out the booths you might have missed last night and get your ballot in for the model contest (if you haven’t already voted). The Vendor Hall will open at 1:00 pm and will close at 5:30 pm so that our vendors can attend the Banquet. The California State Railroad Museum will open to Banquet Ticket holders at 6:00 pm. Wander around the first and third floors for the first hour and then come into the Roundhouse for a barbeque dinner followed by this year’s Keynote Speaker, Bret Iwan. The program will also include awards and door prizes. The Museum closes at 9:00.
Saturday will start with layout tours from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Vendor Hall will be open to the public for all scales 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Saturday afternoon we will have clinics and presentations adjacent to the Vendor Hall for Convention Attendees only. Saturday afternoon and evening is another opportunity for you to explore on your own the bounty the region has to offer.
Sunday is our last day of layout tours from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Vendor Hall is again open to the public for all scales from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
We hope you have a wonderful time in Sacramento!