Canadian Pacific Holiday Train
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Holiday Train Rolls Into Minnesota

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The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train visits more than two-dozen Minnesota towns on its annual trek through the northern U.S. / Canadian Pacific

Holiday Train Rolls Into Minnesota

All aboard! The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will stop in 20 Minnesota towns on its annual ride (2023 is its 25th anniversary!) through the northern U.S., bringing live entertainment and Christmas cheer in exchange for donations to local food banks.

The Holiday Train is a great way to get into the festive spirit. It's about 1,000 feet in length with 14 brightly decorated rail cars. Each one is lit with hundreds of thousands of LEDs and holiday designs celebrating the spirit of the giving season.

Depending on the day, visitors can enjoy free musical performances by Tenille Townes and Breland or Dallas Smith and MacKenzie Porter. Any food or cash donations will also benefit the local community.

Dallas Smith and Breland

L to R: Dallas Smith, Breland 

Please note: You don't actually get to ride the Holiday Train. It's more of a pop-up concert experience. Or as the railway says in its FAQ page, "A typical Holiday Train event goes something like this: The train arrives and pulls to a safe stop in front of the crowd. The stage door lowers and the band opens with its first song, followed by a brief presentation with the local food bank officials and other dignitaries on stage. Once the presentation is done the band resumes the show, singing a mix of traditional and modern holiday-themed songs, and popular original songs. After the final song the boxcar door closes and the train is on its way to the next stop."

For more details on the event, visit the Canadian Pacific website, and check out Minnesota's rough itinerary below, including arrival times, dates and destinations.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train passes through a wintry landscape

CPKC Holiday Train

Holiday Train 2023:

12/6 Rochester at 1605 Civic Center Drive NW (1 p.m.)

12/6 Owatonna at 1145 Park Drive (3:40 p.m.)

12/6 Waseca at 308 South State Street and HWY 13 (5:15 p.m.)

12/6 Janesville at Veteran's Memorial Park (7 p.m.)

12/7 Austin at 550 11th Street NE (5 p.m.)

12/8 La Crescent at The Commadore Food and Spirit (7:15 p.m.)

12/9 Winona at Amtrak Station (3:30 p.m.)

12/9 Wabasha at Gambie Avenue railway crossing (5:30 p.m.)

12/9 Hastings at CPKC Depot (8 p.m.)

12/10 Cottage Grove at South Seiben Bridge (5 p.m.)

12/10 St. Paul at Union Depot (6:45 p.m.)

12/11 Golden Valley at Golden Hills Drive railway crossing (4:45 p.m.)

12/11 St. Louis Park at W. Lake Street and Library Lane (6 p.m.)

12/11 Minneapolis at Lions Park (8 p.m.)

12/13 Loretto at Hennepin County Road 19 railway crossing (4:15 p.m.)

12/13 Buffalo at 5th Street NE railway crossing (5:45 p.m.)

12/13 Annandale at Downtown Park (7:15 p.m.)

12/13 Eden Valley at State Street railway crossing (8:55 p.m.)

12/14 Glenwood at CPKC station (10:15 a.m.)

12/14 Alexandria at 8th Avenue E railway (11:30 a.m.)

12/14 Detroit Lakes at Holmes Street railway crossing (2:20 p.m.)

12/14 Mahnomen at West of U.S. 59 and South of E Washington Avenue (4:20 p.m.)

12/14 Plummer at Central Avenue railway crossing (6 p.m.)

12/14 Thief River Falls at 405 3rd Street East (7:30 p.m.)

12/15 Elbow Lake at U.S. State Hwy 59 railway crossing (4:15 p.m.)

Find more ways to celebrate the holidays across Minnesota.