One of the coolest Christmas traditions in North America is rolling through Louisiana for the first time this year. The CPKC Holiday Train, a train covered in holiday lights with a free live concert at every stop, is coming to six Louisiana towns in late November and early December, plus one just across the Texas line in Port Arthur.
What Is the CPKC Holiday Train?
The Holiday Train has been running since 1999, and it’s a pretty simple idea. A lit-up train pulls into town, a stage opens up on one of the cars, and there’s a short live concert. Admission is free, but you’re asked to bring a non-perishable food item or a cash donation, and everything collected stays in the local community to help families in need.
Since it started, the Holiday Train has raised more than $28.3 million and collected more than 5.6 million pounds of food for food banks in Canada and the U.S. This year’s tour runs from Nov. 19 through Dec. 20 with 182 stops, and it’s heading farther south than ever…