A holiday tradition on rails returns to the Coulee Region next month. The CPKC Holiday Train is scheduled in Winona on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Amtrak station at 65 East Mark Street.

Earlier that day the train stops in La Crescent at 2:15 p.m. at 517 South Chestnut Street. Later stops on Dec. 12 include Wabasha at 5:45 p.m., Red Wing at 7:15 p.m. and Hastings at 8:45 p.m., before Cottage Grove and St. Paul on Dec. 13.

Musicians perform free concerts from the decorated train's stage at each stop. Allen Stone is listed as the performer for the stops between La Crescent and Minneapolis.

The train is in its 28th year and runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 20, 2026. CPKC donates to the local food bank at each stop and asks attendees to bring a monetary or heart-healthy food donation.

Since its first run in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected about 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the United States.