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Tweetsie Railroad, North Carolina’s First Theme Park, Kicks Off 2015 Season April 10

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It’s all aboard! Tweetsie Railroad is set to pull into the station on Friday, April 10, 2015 for another exciting season filled with Wild West adventure for the whole family. Plan your visit to enjoy a ride on Tweetsie’s legendary steam locomotives through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Blowing Rock.

The park’s 59th season will host an exciting lineup of special events, including fan favorites like Day Out With Thomas, the July 4 Fireworks Extravaganza and Tweetsie’s Ghost Train Halloween Festival, as well as a first-time appearance from the colorful characters of Team Umizoomi.

Tweetsie has plenty for the whole family to explore, from a variety of amusement rides and live entertainment, to games at the county fair and panning for gold at Miner’s Mountain. Take a stroll through Tweetsie’s very own authentic Western town, where you can go back in time to experience the days of the Old West. And don’t forget about the park’s centerpiece: a three-mile ride through the winding and breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains behind Tweetsie Railroad’s historic steam locomotives.

Be sure to check out one of Tweetsie’s live shows. Sit back and relax while watching Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue, featuring the renowned Tweetsie Can-Can Dancers. Join in the fun at the Miner’s Mountain Magic Show, where guests are invited to take part in illusions and slight-of-hand tricks that will baffle any skeptic. Dance along with the Tweetsie Cloggers at the Tweetsie Country Clogging Jamboree. Or help Hopper (Tweetsie¹’s Rabbit engineer) and Porter (its Turtle conductor) keep the train running on time at Hopper and Porter’s Musical Celebration.

Tweetsie Railroad will also welcome a new neighbor and a major new attraction to the area this season: High Gravity Adventures, a state-of-the-art, aerial adventure park, will be opening this spring next to Tweetsie. Adrenaline-pumping thrills will be offered to climbers of just about any age, and an exciting zip line will be added in Phase 2 of High Gravity Adventures’ expansion. Visitors now have another great attraction to add to their itinerary when making a trip to Tweetsie Railroad.

It’s never too early to start planning your trip to Blowing Rock to experience all the Western adventure and magic of Tweetsie Railroad. Below is a look at special event lineup for the 2015 season:

Letterland© at Tweetsie ‹ May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14

For six days, Tweetsie Railroad will be transformed into a magical world for elementary schools using the Letterland©reading program. Based on the UK’s best-selling alphabet book, Letterland ABC, the Letterland reading system teaches children the alphabet and phonics by bringing letters to life. It¹s fun and educational!

David Holt and the Lightning Bolts in Concert ‹ Sunday, May 31

Tweetsie Railroad is honored to host four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt and the Lightning Bolts for a one-day only special performance. David Holt and the Lightning Bolts enliven old-time music with a new time jolt. Holt recently released a one-hour television show, David Holt’s State of Music, that aired on UNC-TV.

Day Out With Thomas: The Celebration Tour 2015 ‹ June 5-14

Hop aboard with Thomas the Tank Engine as he chugs his way through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station. Advance tickets are suggested as tickets are limited for this very popular event.

Team Umizoomi ‹ June 19-21

They’re mighty. They’re mini. They’re math superheroes! Nick Jr.’s beloved characters, Team Umizoomi, will visit Tweetsie Railroad to entertain and take pictures with guests for this first time this summer. Meet Milli, her brother Geo and their friendly robot named Bot at North Carolina’s first theme park!

Fireworks Extravaganza ‹ Saturday, July 4

Celebrate America’s birthday with your family and friends in the High Country! Tweetsie Railroad will once again hold an exciting Fourth of July extravaganza you don¹t want to miss, complete with a night full of dazzling fireworks. The park will remain open until 9:00 p.m., and fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Parking is $10 per car for this event.

Cool Summer Nights ‹ June 20 and 27, July 11, 18 and 25

This popular event is back, letting park visitors enjoy cool summer evenings at Tweetsie Railroad during select Saturdays in June and July. On these nights, the park will remain open until 9:00 p.m. to make more time for family fun and adventure.

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy ‹ July 10-12

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? Meet the Cartoon Network’s Scooby Doo and his crime-fighting friend Shaggy during their return visit to Tweetsie Railroad. And make sure to bring your Scooby snacks!

K-9s in Flight Frisbee® Dogs ‹ July 18-26

Are you a dog lover? Then you won’t want to miss this talented team of canines that delight audiences by jumping, flipping, diving and catching flying discs that defy gravity. Be prepared

to be amazed each day at Tweetsie Railroad when they perform at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m.,

3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (Saturday nights only).

Riders In The Sky ‹ August 8-9

Enjoy a performance full of Western harmony and humor that has been captivating audiences of all ages since 1977. This multi Grammy Award-winning quartet is an event not to be missed.

Railroad Heritage Weekend at Tweetsie ‹ August 29-30

Celebrate the rich history of steam railroading and tour the famous Tweetsie Railroad Train Shop as the park hosts its annual Railroad Heritage Weekend. The weekend will also include performances and demonstrations by the Cherokee Tsalagi Touring Program.

Ghost Train® Halloween Festival ‹

Friday and Saturday nights September 25 ‹ October 31

All aboard Tweetsie’s Ghost Train® for a nighttime ride with spooky engineer Casey Bones that’s full of thrills and chills as the park hosts its 26th Annual Ghost Train® Halloween Festival. Don¹t miss the Haunted House, Freaky Forest, trick-or-treating and other Halloween-themed attractions that provide a safe, family-friendly night of Halloween adventure.

Tweetsie Railroad will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting April 10, including Memorial Day Monday, and seven days a week from May 29 through August 16. The park returns to the weekend schedule from August 17 through November 1, including Labor Day Monday.

The 2015 season ends Sunday, November 1. The park’s regular hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but will be open until 9:00 p.m. on July 4 for the Fireworks Extravaganza and June 20 and 27 and July 11, 18 and 25 for Cool Summer Nights. Daily admission to Tweetsie Railroad is $41 for adults and $27 for children ages 3 through 12. Children 2 and under are admitted free. The Ghost Train® Halloween Festival will take place Friday and Saturday nights September 25 through October 31 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with an admission price of $34 for adults and children. Tickets and Golden Rail Season Passes are available at Tweetsie.com.

Tweetsie Railroad is located on U.S. Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. For more information about the 2015 season at Tweetsie Railroad, visit Tweetsie.com or call 877.TWEETSIE (877.893.3874). Find Tweetsie on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Tweetsie and Twitter and Instagram, @TweetsieRR.