The musicians have been chosen, the whistle stops selected and the lights soon will be hung on the boxcars with care. The Canadian Pacific Railway’s U.S. Holiday Train is headed out on its annual goodwill journey for food shelves across the U.S. Northeast and Upper Midwest.
The U.S. Holiday Train entertainers include Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Tracey Brown, Juno award-winner Colin Linden, and the critically acclaimed family duo Ennis.
The train’s itinerary begins at Steamtown this coming Saturday, December 1st, with an appearance scheduled for 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. It will then visit 39 communities in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota before ending on December 17th.
The program has raised close to $3 million and 1.6 million pounds of food since the first Holiday Train ran in 1999. Thousands of people gather trackside at depots, railroad crossings and other unusual venues along CPR’s route to enjoy the arrival of the brightly decorated trains lighting up the winter nights. The musicians, who ride in private vintage cars at the end of the 12-car train, hop out and climb aboard a boxcar in the middle of the train that opens to reveal a stage where they perform live holiday concerts and invite crowds to sing along.
Holiday Train visitors are encouraged to donate money and/or nonperishable food, which goes directly to the United Neighborhood Center. Additionally, the Canadian Pacific will present a check at each stop.
