Come All Ye Faithful! The Holiday Train Is Coming Back To Minnesota!

If you are looking for ways to get into the holiday spirit, or want to plan a special evening with your family, there is a fun FREE holiday train coming to Minnesota. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train released its traveling schedule and Minnesota is going to see plenty of train stops and performances this year.

According to Railfan and Railroad Magazine:

Since its inception in 1999, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train has raised $22.5 million and collected 5 million pounds of food for community food banks along CP’s network in the U.S. and Canada. Every year, Canadian Pacific dispatches two trains covered in lights, one to focus on lines in the U.S. and another in Canada. This year, the U.S. version will travel all the way south to Shreveport, LA. The trains stop in various towns along the route and notable musicians put on a performance for 30 minutes to an hour. 

The performers making stops in Minnesota are Country artists Tenille Townes and Breland (MN stops through Dec 11th) and the duo of Dallas Smith and MacKenzie Porter! (MN stops starting December 13th)

So are you wondering what towns are going to see stops this year? Well, I've listed ALL Minnesota stops by date, but Buffalo, Annandale, and Eden Valley are the three closest to St. Cloud.

December 6th:

Rochester at 1pm, performance starts at 1:15pm at 1605 Civic Center Drive NW

Owatonna at 3:40pm performance starts at 3:45pm at 1145 Park Drive at the railway crossing (near Owatonna Bus Company)

Waseca at 5:15pm performance starts at 5:30pm at 308 South State Street and HWY 13

Janesville 7:00pm performance starts at 7:15pm at 235 Front Street at Veteran's Memorial Park (between Main Street and Craig Street)

December 7th:

Austin at 5:00pm with the performance at 5:15pm at 550 11th Street NE

December 8th:

La Crescent at 7:15pm with the performance at 7:30pm at The Commadore Food and Spirit parking lot, 215 South Chestnut Street

December 9th:

Winona at 3:30pm with the performance at 3:45pm at Amtrak Station, 65 East Mark Street

Wabasha at 5:30pm with the performance at 5:45pm at Gambie Avenue railway crossing by Bruegger Park

Hastings at 8:00pm with the performance at 8:15pm at CPKC Depot, 500 East Second Street

December 10th:

Cottage Grove at 5:00pm with the performance at 5:15pm at South Seiben Bridge, 7064 W Point Douglas Road

St. Paul at 6:45pm with the performance at 7:00pm at St. Paul Union Depot, 214 E 4th Street

December 11th:

Golden Valley at 4:45pm with the performance at 5:00pm at Railway Crossing at Golden Hills Drive

St. Louis Park at 6:00pm with the performance at 6:15pm at Railway crossing at the intersection of W. Lake Street and Library Lane

Minneapolis at 8:00pm with the performance at 8:15pm at Lions Park on 37th Avenue between 37th Avenue and Stinson Blvd

December 13th:

Loretto at 4:15pm with the performance at 4:30pm at Hennepin County Road 19 railway crossing

Buffalo at 5:45pm with the performance at 6:00pm at 5th Street NE railway crossing

Annandale at 7:15pm with the performance at 7:30pm at West side of Downtown Park over the Harris Street West railway crossing

Eden Valley at 8:55pm with the performance at 9:00pm at State Street railway crossing (State HWY 22)

December 14th:

Glenwood at 10:15am with the performance also start at 10:15am at CPKC station, 20-15th Street NE

Alexandria at 11:30am with the performance at 11:45am at 8th Avenue E railway crossing adjacent to Hubbard Feed Mill at 8th and Nokomis

Detroit Lakes at 2:30pm with the performance at 2:45pm at Holmes Street railway crossing near Holmes Community Center (826 Summit)

Mahnomen at 4:20pm with the performance also at 4:20pm at West of U.S. 59 and South of E Washington Avenue

Plummer at 6:00pm with the performance at 6:15pm at Main railway crossing on Central Avenue

Thief River Falls at 7:30pm with the performance at 7:45pm at North of City Hall, 405 3rd Street East

December 15th:

Elbow Lake at 4:15pm with the performance at 4:30pm at U.S. State Hwy 59 railway crossing

You can double-check the online schedule by going here.

Happy holidays!