Canadian-Pacific train spreading holiday cheer

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - People in the North Country punched their tickets to the North Pole by welcoming the Canadian-Pacific Holiday Train Monday.

Hundreds of people from all over New York and Vermont were in Plattsburgh to get a glimpse of it. For many of them, it’s a tradition.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is 14 railway cars of pure holiday magic. Heather Woods, with the company, says it’s an event they look forward to year after year. This was the first year the train made its rounds since 2019 because of COVID-19.

“We have great artists on the train today,” Wood told WCAX News. “It’s Lindsay Ell and JoJo Mason, and of course, the lights are always such a big draw.”

Not only do the lights and live performances bring joy to onlookers, but donations for local food pantries are also collected. In Plattsburgh, the funds and canned goods are going to the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity.

“All the proceeds get donated to the food shelf at JCEO and the cash donations go to our backpack program,” Sara Arnold, a volunteer at the event said.

After Monday night’s stops in New York, the train continued its journey back into Canada and through the U.S.

Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.