Tweetsie Railroad, nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, will welcome the first guests of the 2009 season Friday, May 1.

The 52nd season at Tweetsie hosts an array of special events and family favorites including Day Out With Thomas, Letterland, Grammy award-winning performers Riders In The Sky, the July 4 Fireworks Extravaganza and the annual Tweetsie Railroad Ghost Train Halloween Festival. Tweetsie will host a Fun Fest featuring a visit from Bob the Builder, Barney and Angelina Ballerina.

The Wild West theme park features live shows, amusement rides, the Deer Park, concerts and much more. The heart of the park is the three-mile train ride behind Tweetsie Railroad's historic steam locomotives. Visitors can also spend the day walking the streets of a Western town, learning about the lives of cowboys and Indians of the past and take a scenic chair lift ride to Miner's Mountain and pan for gold.

Visitors of all ages enjoy live entertainment including Diamond Lil's Can-Can Revue, Hopper and Porter's Musical Celebration and the imaginative Professor Peppercorn's Magical Extravaganza. Tweetsie's Country Clogging Jamboree is also sure to get toes tapping.

Below is a quick look at 2009's special events at Tweetsie:

n Letterland -- May 8 and May 15, the park will be transformed into the world of Letterland, the popular United Kingdom-based reading system that teaches young children the alphabet and phonics skills by bringing the letters to life. This phonics-fun event will feature characters from Letterland ABC, the United Kingdom's best-selling alphabet book. Visitors will be greeted by Quarrelsome Queen and will also have the opportunity to ride on Talking Tess's Train, Golden Girls' Go-carts and much more.

n Day Out With Thomas -- June 5-14, hop aboard with Thomas the Tank Engine as he chugs through the Blue Ridge Mountains. During Thomas' visit, children will have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station. Advance tickets are required as this event sells out annually.

n Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego Go! -- June 2628, enjoy meet-and-greets throughout the weekend with Dora and her cousin Diego, popular characters from the hit Nickelodeon preschool series.

n Tweetsie's Fireworks Extravaganza -- Saturday, July 4, celebrate Independence Day with Tweetsie Railroad. This family-favorite features spectacular fireworks that light up the evening sky, and this year will be bigger and better than ever. The park will remain open until 9 p.m. on July 4.

n HIT Entertainment Fun Festival -- July 1719, enjoy a visit from Bob the Builder, Barney and Angelina Ballerina at Tweetsie Railroad. Families will enjoy spectacular stage performances, including Barney's Super-dee-Duper Sing-Along, Bob the Builder's Musical Building Adventure and Angelina Ballerina's Story Time. After each performance, children have a chance to meet, hug and get photos taken with their favorite characters.

n K-9s in Flight Frisbee Dogs -- Aug. 19, these four-legged friends leave spectators in amazement. These dynamic dogs perform gravity-defying tricks, which are sure to dazzle Tweetsie guests at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. shows at the park.

n Riders In The Sky -- Aug. 1516, America's Favorite Cowboys will bring audiences a mix of comedy and Western tunes. The Grammy award-winning quartet's shows are at noon and 3 p.m. each day.

n Tweetsie's Railfan Weekend -- Sept. 1213, the weekend will include special historic trains and an exclusive train shop tour. See the lost art of steam locomotive restoration and repair in one of the few remaining locomotive shops in North America.

n Ghost Train Halloween Festival -- Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 131, Take a ride on the frighteningly fun Ghost Train with engineer Casey Bones. Take a walk through the haunted house or trick-or-treat throughout the park. Be a part of all of the Halloween-themed attractions, which promise to provide a memorable night of safe and scary fun for the entire family.

Tweetsie Railroad will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting May 1, and seven days a week from May 22 through Aug. 23, before returning to the weekend schedule from Aug. 28 through Nov. 1, including Labor Day Monday. The 2009 season ends Sunday, Nov. 1. The park's regular hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but will be open until 9 p.m. on July 4 and nightly during the Ghost Train Halloween Festival in October. In addition, the park will open at 8 a.m. both Saturdays during the popular Day Out With Thomas event. Daily admission is $30 for adults and $22 for children ages 3 through 12. Children 2 and under are admitted free.

Tweetsie Railroad is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on U.S. 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock. For more information about the 2009 season at Tweetsie Railroad, visit www.tweetsie.com or call 1-877-TWEETSIE.