VIDEO: Orange Line to Open With a Country & Western Hoedown Saturday

The final countdown is underway for the grand opening of the four-mile Orange Line Extension from the Canoga station to the Chatsworth train depot.

As the final polishing is being done, the Canoga Park and Ride lot will be closed from June 28-30 to complete construction.

There'll be a big hoedown on Saturday, June 30, when rides on the long, silver, articulated coaches will be free between the two stations. Sunday is free, too, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Regular fares will apply on all other Metro Rail, Metro Rapid and Metro Local lines.

In Chatsworth, at 10046 Old Depot Plaza Rd., the theme will be Country & Western, and between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be:

• An 11 a.m. ribbon cutting
• Line Dancing lessons
• Community booths
• A blacksmith demonstration
• A charity jail
• A visit by the Cowboy Poet
• Food trucks
• A petting zoo and pony rides for children provided by The Farm. (The first 20 children get a free pony ride.)
• A noon motorcycle and rider dress up competition, first prize is a trophy and $100
• A Providence blood drive
• Live performances presented by  featuring Country Gone Awry, Coldwater Canyon, and Metro Express
• A raffle to win bikes hosted by

At the Canoga Station, at Canoga Avenue and Victory Boulevard, the theme will be eco-friendly entertainment, and there will be:

• A 10 a.m. ribbon cutting
• Community booths
• Food trucks
• An 11 a.m. group bicycle ride with Valley Bikery
• Live performances by Two Dogs Band, Triple Trouble, Vocal Percussion Radio, West 79th Street Funk Jazz Band and more.

The Orange Line Extension project, providing transportation all the way from Chatsworth to the Red Line subway station in North Hollywood, includes four new stations at Sherman Way, Roscoe Boulevard, Nordhoff Street and the Chatsworth Metrolink Station.

New platforms were added at the Canoga Station. An to keep the busway separated from railroad tracks. All stations include public art. Parallel to the busway, a bikeway and pedestrian path is being built with landscaping similar to the drought-tolerant plants along the existing Metro Orange Line. And there is a new park and ride lot at the Sherman Way Station, as well as additional parking at the Chatsworth Station.

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