Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to benefit local food pantries with stops in Lansing and New Albin this year
Allamakee County residents and visitors will have a pair of opportunities this Sunday to visit the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train within the county's borders, as the lighted holiday spectacle will be stopping in both Lansing and New Albin this Sunday, December 4. Those visiting the train at its stops are asked to contribute a canned food item or monetary donation, with those food and funding proceeds from the Lansing visit being donated to the Allamakee County Food Shelf and the same from the New Albin stop being donated to The Way Station.
Residents and visitors of Allamakee County will get twice as many chances to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train this year, as the holiday spectacle on rails will make its way up the western edge of the Mississippi River Sunday, December 4 to make a pair of stops within the Allamakee County borders. The Holiday Train will be stopping in Lansing this Sunday evening, at approximately 4:50 p.m., and again in New Albin a little over an hour later, at approximately 6:15 p.m.
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights and serves as a stage for live musical performances. Both stops are scheduled to include performances by country music singer Kelly Prescott and/or veteran blues singer Colin James. Santa Claus will also be making an appearance in conjunction with the train stops.
The lighted holiday train will be stopping across from the Sports Complex in Lansing located on South Front Street. The performances and presentations taking place during the train’s stop in Lansing are scheduled to take place from 5-5:30 p.m. Santa Claus will be in attendance during the stop in Lansing, and Lansing Main Street Matters will also be offering hot chocolate and other refreshments during the event.
The stop in New Albin will take place in the parking lot described as being located adjacent to the railroad tracks along Railroad Street (Highway 26) between Ross Avenue and Oak Street. Performances and presentations are scheduled to take place from 6:15-6:30 p.m. in New Albin. In conjunction with the arrival of the Holiday Train, free hot cocoa, caroling and a Christmas tree lighting will take place in a “Light Up New Albin” celebration.
The Lansing and New Albin locations will be among nine stops the train will be making in Iowa this holiday season. Prior to its arrival in Lansing, the train will be stopping in Marquette, and after the New Albin stop the train will depart for its next destination in La Crescent, MN, its final stop for that December 4 date.
The Holiday Train visits will help the community and surrounding area collect food and money for local food pantries. Food and monetary donations collected at the Lansing stop will benefit the Allamakee County Food Shelf. The food and money collected at the New Albin stop will be donated to The Way Station in New Albin.
All attending either event are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable food items or a monetary donation to the Holiday Train that evening. Canadian Pacific urges those bringing food items to consult their “healthy donations” link on their website at www.cpr.ca/holiday-train/healthy-donations for healthy food donation suggestions.
The Holiday Train will be visiting over 150 communities throughout the Midwest and northeast United States this year. Since its inception in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $12 million and nearly four million pounds of food for communities in the U.S. and Canada.
