Visitors enjoy a ride on the 1964 World's Fair train at the Railroad Museum of Long Island in Riverhead during the annual railroad festival in 2017. File photo: Denise Civiletti

The Railroad Museum of Long Island has canceled its annual railroad festival due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The festival, which had been scheduled for Aug. 29 and 30, would have been the 21st annual festival for the railroad museum, which has locations near the LIRR stations in Riverhead and Greenport. This year’s event would have celebrated the 30th anniversary of the museums in the two towns.

“After much consideration, the museum does not want to test the waters of COVID-19 exposure for our visitors or our members and volunteers,” said RMLI president Don Fisher. “We believe, with an abundance of caution, it is better to wait until next year to celebrate 31 years of accomplishment at the museums.”

The popular annual two-day festival draws crowds of visitors from across the region to see the museum’s exhibits chronicling the history of the railroad on Long Island, enjoy a ride on the 1964 World’s Fair train and marvel at the numerous layouts of miniature trains.

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The COVD-19 pandemic has canceled or postponed numerous other events across the region. See prior story.

Currently, gatherings are limited to a maximum of 25 people in Phase Three. When the Long Island region enters Phase Four, the maximum gathering size will increase to 50 people, under current guidelines promulgated by the state.

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Denise is a veteran local reporter, editor and attorney. Her work has been recognized with numerous journalism awards, including investigative reporting and writer of the year awards from the N.Y. Press Association. She was also honored in 2020 with a NY State Senate Woman of Distinction Award for her trailblazing work in local online news. She is a founder, owner and co-publisher of this website. Email Denise.