The CPKC Holiday Train is making its way back through southwestern Ontario with a stop on Thursday in London, Ont., and on Friday in Chatham and Windsor, before it heads to the United States on Saturday.
The festive train, which includes 14 decorated railcars, is scheduled to stop on Richmond Street at the tracks between Oxford Street and Central Avenue at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, with a free concert starting at 8:30 p.m.
Then on Friday, the train will arrive at the Holiday Inn Convention Center parking lot at 565 Richmond St. in Chatham for 2:30 p.m. with the half-hour show starting 15 minutes later. Finally, the train will arrive in Windsor at the CP railyard at Erie Street and Janette Avenue for 5:45 p.m. with the concert at 6 p.m. The train will then head to Bensenville, Ill., just outside of Chicago, the following day.
The train is touring the U.S. and Canada between Nov. 20 and Dec. 19, raising money and food for area food banks. Since 1999, more than $22.5 million and over 5 million pounds of food has been raised, the railway company says.
The train has two main routes, through Canada and the U.S., but all stops south of Toronto are part of the U.S. route. The stops in London, Chatham and Windsor will all feature performances by Canadian act Kiesza and Australian country music duo Seaforth.
Attendees at all three locations are in luck, weather-wise, as the forecast is calling for a mix of sun and cloud and high of 5C on Thursday in London and a mix of sun and cloud and high of 1C on Friday in both Chatham and Windsor.
— with files from Don Mitchell