This Iconic Holiday Event in Minnesota Is the One Thing You Must Do This Season

I know there are tons of things to do in Minnesota in the winter—especially during the holiday season, with all the holiday markets, festivals, parades, ceremonies, pop-up bars, shows, etc. I get it, we're busy this time of year, and I'm not trying to pile on... but if you do happen to live near one of the CPKC Holiday Train stops, I strongly recommend that you get out and see it! There's something pretty magical about it, and it's also cool because it reaches so many folks in the Land of 10,000 Lakes—it's not just one event in one place. So, if there's a single iconic holiday event in Minnesota that I think you should do this season, it's go out and see the CPKC Holiday Train.

The CPKC Holiday Train has been bringing tidings of joy and good cheer to Minnesota and much of the rest of the Upper Midwest for more than three decades. With more than a dozen cars bedecked with festive lights and holiday messages, the train typically stops in 20 Minnesota communities, moving from the southeast to the northwest.

Historically, the first stop is La Crescent as the train crosses the Mississippi River from Wisconsin into the North Star State. It then makes its way up the Mississippi valley, visiting Winona, Wabasha, and Hastings before heading into the Twin Cities, where the train makes several stops over a couple of days. From the Metro, the CPKC Holiday Train heads west and north, paying visits to communities like Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, and even Thief River Falls, before making its final Minnesota stop in Elbow Lake and heading on to North Dakota.

Each stop offers a free musical performance from a boxcar stage with sing-along holiday classics. The lineup varies by state and by stop. So, folks in La Crescent may see an act different from the one you might see in Loretto. What is a constant at every stop, though, is good cheer and the collection of donations for local food banks in the communities where the train stops. After a half hour or so of fun and jolliness, the boxcar door closes, the train pulls out the station, and it makes its way to the next town.

This year, the train is scheduled to arrive for its first Minnesota stop in La Crescent on December 12, 2025, at 2:15 p.m. It will then cross the state, southeast to northwest, over the next several days, making its last stop in the Bold North at Elbow Lake on December 17, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. It will cross the Twin Cities metro from December 12, when it makes its last stop of the day in Hastings, through December 15, as it pulls out of Buffalo. Visit the official CPKC Holiday Train web page for a complete schedule of stops and musical lineups.

One thing to keep in mind is that the CPKC Holiday Train stops are very popular, and folks often start gathering long before the train arrives. So, you'll definitely want to dress warm, layer up, and be prepared to spend a good amount of time standing in the cold. On the other hand, you won't regret checking out this iconic holiday event in Minnesota. Tell us about some of your favorite holiday events in Minnesota over on our Nomination page.

If you're ready to plan your holiday adventures in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, check out  Only In Your State’s AI-powered itinerary planner for some inspiration.