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World's Fair Train Show Rolling Into Queens Botanical Garden This Weekend

 The World’s Fair Train Show will kick off this Saturday.
Train Show Extravaganza Rolls Into Queens Botanical Garden This Weekend
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QUEENS — You can follow miniature trains as they meander through the flora of Queens Botanical Garden and whiz past scaled-down models of landmarks from the borough this weekend.

Beginning Saturday, dozens of mini locomotives will run along several hundred feet of track installed near the garden's arboretum as part of The World’s Fair Train Show.

The event, in its second year, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1964-1965 World's Fair and returns after an "immensely popular" first year, the organizers said.

“It was a nice thing to offer to the local community who didn’t want to travel” on Memorial Day Weekend, said Regina Forlenza, public programs manager for the garden.

This year, Long Island Garden Railway Society, a group of model trains enthusiasts, contributed trains to the show, as well as building and installing a 7-foot-tall replica of the Tent of Tomorrow, an iconic World's Fair structure built as part of the New York State Pavilion.

The replica will later be donated to the borough of Queens, the organizers said. During the event, the group will be also collecting donations that will go toward the Pavilion's restoration.

The organizers are also planning to bring back a model from last year, the iconic Unisphere.

Each model train has some historical reference, including a replica of "The General," a steam locomotive, which was stolen during the Civil War by Northern troops, Forlenza said.

Visitors can also hop on a tram that tours through several sections of the garden and only runs during the event, Forlenza said.

The show will feature a number of attractions for kids, including face painting and lessons on how to plant seeds, organizers said. 

“We hope that people will come out with their whole families this year,” Forlenza said.

The World’s Fair Train Show will begin on Saturday and run through Monday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The show, which will be installed near the garden's arboretum and parking lot, is free with garden admission. Tram rides will be available for additional $5 per trip. Garden admission is $4 for adults and $2 for students and children over 3. The Queens Botanical Garden is located at 43-50 Main St. in Flushing.