The 26th annual Rails to Trails Festival, a celebration of outdoor life in Lassen County, is set for Saturday, October 6th, with a variety of events for the entire family.
Events run from 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. at the historic Susanville Railroad Depot, 601 Richmond Road. Admission is free.
“A highlight is our chili cook-off and salsa competition, an always spirited contest involving local businesses and organizations vying for the honors of Lassen County’s best chili cooks,” said Linda Hansen, president of the Lassen Land and Trails Trust, sponsor of the festival.
Hansen said the festival also features artisans, craft vendors and a farmer’s market, the last of the summer’s market season. Forgery, a popular local rock band, will provide music all day, and Susanville’s Lassen Ale Works will offer their locally produced craft beers.
Participants can learn about Lassen County’s railroading and logging history by touring the Susanville Depot and climbing through the 60 year-old trailhead caboose.
Vendors and chili cooks can find registration forms and more information at the LLTT’s website: https://lassenlandandtrailstrust.org/rails-to-trails/. The vendor deadline is October 1st, and the chili cook-off registration deadline is October 3rd.
Sponsors for this year’s festival include Sierra Pacific Foundation, JDX/KSUE Radio, Billington Ace Hardware, Diamond Mountain Casino & Hotel, Susanville Grocery Outlet, Lassen Ale Works, Les Schwab, Impact Construction, Bottle & Brush Art Bar, Pregill Insurance, Every Bloomin’ Thing, C&S Waste Solutions, Cabela’s, and Dr. Northrup, DDS.
The annual Bizz Johnson Marathon and other associated running events will be taking place along with the festival. Marathoners and their supporters will be joining local residents and visitors at the event.
