Holiday Train Rolls In Tuesday, December 14th in Plummer

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 Dallas Smith and MacKenzie Porter. Any food or cash donations will also benefit the local community.

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, "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.”

Local Schedule:

6:00 p.m. 6:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Plummer, Minn. Main railway crossing on Central Avenue.

The 2023 CPKC Holiday Train tours Canada and the United States Nov. 20 through Dec. 19, raising money, food and awareness for the important work that food banks do in their communities. Professional musicians play free concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage. CPKC makes a donation to the local food shelf at each stop and encourages attendees to also donate.

Since its inception in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $22.5 million and more than 5 million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.

“The Holiday Train program is close to the hearts of our CPKC family. Our railroaders take great joy in joining communities across our network as they come together in the giving spirit of the holidays,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. “We are proud to support local food banks as we fight food insecurity by collecting food and raising money and awareness. I am grateful to all the railroaders and community members who have supported the Holiday Train over the past quarter century and made it such a success.”

– Keith Creel, CPKC President and Chief Executive Officer

MacKenzie Porter

Raised on a cattle and bison ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Nashville-based MacKenzie Porter is rising to international acclaim with her radiant country style. She recently scored a six-week #1 with Dustin Lynch’s collaboration “Thinking ‘Bout You,” earning her first #1 in the U.S. Making her mark, Porter became the first female artist to have three consecutive #1 singles on Canadian country radio in 22 years. She has previously shared the stage with Jordan Davis, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, Dallas Smith, and co-starred in the Netflix series, Travelers.

Dallas Smith

Born and raised in British Columbia, Dallas Smith grew up surrounded by music. After getting his start with a Platinum-selling rock band, Smith became one of the most successful Canadian country artists in history. Since making the transition, all 27 of his country singles have cracked the Top 10. He’s a JUNO award winner, a three-time CCMA Entertainer of the Year and 2022’s CCMA Male Artist of the Year and Fans Choice award winner. After 20-plus years of near-constant evolution, he’s currently working on his first fully U.S.-based project, bringing the alt-rock and country fusion that has become his signature.