The famous cross-country holiday train, the Canadian Pacific, will make two stops in the Chicago area this season.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City 2025 Holiday Train, in its 27th year, kicked off on Nov. 19 and will run through Dec. 21, making various stops around the U.S., according to a release.
The train this year will travel to 13 states, including Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Midwest.
In Illinois, there will be two stops, both in Chicago suburbs. That includes one in Gurnee and one in Franklin Park, which are set to take place in the coming days.
This year’s train will feature live musical performances from bands like Barenaked Ladies, Smash Mouth, American Authors, JJ Wilde, Pynk Beard and more.
“Every year, our railroaders take great pride in bringing the Holiday Train across our network, this year reaching even more communities for the first time,” Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO said in the release. “We are thrilled to send this beautiful train filled with lights and music to spread the joy of the season and proud to support the giving spirit of the holidays assisting people experiencing food insecurity. It’s incredible to see communities come together every year to celebrate the holidays while supporting local food banks.”
The train started its run in Quebec, with its first U.S. stop set for Nov. 22 in Hermon, Maine. After that, it will travel to Illinois, Iowa, New York, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota.
Below is the full schedule of the train’s stops in Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, and who’s performing at each. A full list of U.S. stops and dates can be found here.
When is the Canadian Pacific Train coming to the Chicago area?
5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 23: Franklin Park, Illinois; South side of Ruby Street Railway Crossing, North of Franklin Avenue. Musical performances by Smash Mouth and JJ Wilde
5:15 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. on Dec. 9: Gurnee, Illinois: 4460 Old Grand Avenue. Performances by American Authors and Pynk Beard
7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 9: Sturtevant, Wisconsin: 9900 East Exploration. Performances by American Authors and Pynk Beard
8:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 9: Caledonia, Wisconsin: 5 1/2 Mile Road railway crossing. Performances by American Authors and Pynk Beard
4:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Dec. 10: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin: Harwood Avenue railway crossing. Performances by American Authors and Pynk Beard
The train makes a number of other stops in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including in Wisconsin Dells, La Crosse, Oconomowoc, Winona, Minneapolis, St. Paul and more.
Other holiday trains returning to the Chicago area for 2025 include the Metra Holiday Train, CTA holiday train and bus.
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