Hobby Heaven, Happy Feet

If you happen to be a model train buff who is devoted to salsa music, you’ll find more than enough to do in the county this weekend.

A two-day event at the fairgrounds is billed as the largest traveling model railroad show in the country, and the Rotary Club of Ventura-East’s first California Salsa Festival will debut Saturday at Lake Casitas.

Train collectors, history buffs and the curious should head to the exhibition halls at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. for the Great American Train Show.

There will be displays of miniature railroads, dozens of exhibits, train merchandise and memorabilia, and hands-on workshops, said Rochelle Rucker, a spokeswoman for the event.

Several dozen kids of all ages will be plucked from the crowds each day to sit at tables and learn from experts how to build a model boxcar, said George Huckaby, who organizes the demonstrations.

“A lot of parents also want to get their kids interested in something they can do at home,” Huckaby said.

Kits for the workshops were donated by a Pennsylvania company and will be given away to each child who finishes construction of a boxcar, which looks like a red wagon.

The workshops will teach children to use tools and glue to construct their own cars at home, Huckaby said. Laying track is easy, but building boxcars is a little trickier, he said.

Several clubs will display miniature railroads demonstrating steam engine, diesel, electric, battery-operated and radio-controlled model trains in motion, curving around track that includes scenery from cities and the countryside, mineral mines and everyday life.

The Southern California Traction Club will run models of trolleys--the old red cars powered by overhead electrical wires.

The show will also include state-of-the-art model trains and collector pieces by American Flyer, Lionel and Thomas the Tank companies. Visitors of all ages can take turns operating a massive railroad system featuring seven trains in motion.

“It’s a perfect place to hook up with a model railroading club, which is a great way to get more involved in the hobby or meet new people in your community,” said Dave Swanson, founder of the show.

Railroad buffs will also have a chance to meet and talk with historians.

“This country was built by the railroad, and part of the romance of model railroading is that it was part of a growing nation,” said Bob Urhmann, a member of a New Jersey model railroad club that travels to train shows.

Admission is $6 for adults, good for both days. Children 11 and under who come with an adult get in free. For more information, call (630) 834-0652 or look up the show’s Web site at www.gats.com.

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If dancing and boating and chowing down on homemade Mexican food sound appealing, head to the Rotary Club of Ventura-East’s California Salsa Festival on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lake Casitas near Ojai.

The festival is less about salsa the condiment--which will be available--than it is about Latin-based salsa music and salsa dancing.

Three top salsa bands from Southern California will play: Johnny Polanco and Conjunto Amistad, Charanga Cudana and Somos Son.

“There was a conscious effort to come up with some type of music that was original, popular and would be entertaining to a wide variety of ages and interests,” said Rotary President Jan Lindsay.

The club decided to start what it hopes will be an annual fund-raiser after it had to cancel its annual Mother’s Day plant sale at the Pacific View Mall this year. Rotary members also wanted to host an annual event that would help add several thousand dollars to its scholarship fund. Every year, the Rotary Club of Ventura-East gives out several dozen scholarships to graduating Buena High School seniors.

In addition to music, there will be food and craft booths, and the Gull Wing Children’s Museum in Oxnard will host a game area. Pontoon boats will take visitors on a tour of the lake.

The festival will be at the lake’s waterfront arena, which has its own dock and parking area. It was built for canoeing events during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Washington Mutual bank branches or Santa Barbara Bank & Trust branches. They are $12 in advance or $15 at the gate, children 12 and under free. For more information, call (888) 491-7342.