LEXINGTON ó The city of Lexington will again provide a hospitality area dedicated to the comfort and convenience of passengers riding North Carolina’s Amtrak trains to the 25th annual Barbecue Festival on Saturday.
The Rail Passenger Hospitality Area will include an enclosed 1,200-square-foot tent located immediately adjacent to the passenger train stop and a short walk from the Barbecue Festival area in Uptown Lexington.
The hospitality area will be staffed all day by volunteer hosts and available to passengers from the time the first train arrives in the morning until the last train departs in the evening. Complementary refreshments will be available throughout the day as well as seating and tables in the tent for train passengers who want to take a midday break from the Barbecue Festival activities.
North Carolina’s Amtrak passengers will also be able to drop off any purchases at the tent they do not want to carry with them throughout the day.
North Carolina’s Amtrak will serve Lexington on Barbecue Festival day with four passenger trains:
– Train 73 will depart Raleigh at 7 a.m., making stops to board passengers in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro and High Point and arriving in Lexington at 9:04 a.m.
– Train 80 will depart Charlotte at 7:40 a.m., making stops to board passengers in Kannapolis and Salisbury and arriving in Lexington at 8:40 a.m.
– Train 74 will depart Lexington at 6:29 p.m. for High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Cary and Raleigh.
– Train 79 will depart Lexington at 7:28 p.m. for Salisbury, Kannapolis and Charlotte.
For complete information on riding North Carolina’s Amtrak to the Barbecue Festival, visit bytrain.org. Tickets can be purchased online at Amtrak.com; by calling, either Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL or by picking up the red reservations phone at Amtrak stations in Cary, Burlington, High Point, Salisbury or Kannapolis; or in person at walk-up windows in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte.
Tickets should be booked using the Fare Code “LEX.” Book early for the best fares.
The Barbecue Festival, designated as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event, attracts more than 100,000 people annually to Uptown Lexington.
The daylong street festival consists of hundreds of exhibits including a juried arts and crafts show; six stages of live entertainment; a 50-ton pig-themed sand sculpture; the Barbecue Carnival and a family area featuring special activities for children, rides and games; the “Hogway Speedway” racing pigs; an antique car show; bicycle stunt show; “Festival Chop Shop;” lumberjack sports show; a climbing wall and more.
Festival hours are 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and admission is free. For additional festival details visit www.barbecuefestival.com