Lake County Gazette

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train will visit Viking Park at 4374 Old Grand Ave. in the Village of Gurnee. This festive event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, Dec. 3.

First and foremost, The train is anticipated to arrive at the park at 5:10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, according to a press release from the Village of Gurnee. The Holiday Train will stop on the east side of railroad tracks near Depot Road, and feature a holiday concert by Tenille Townes and Breland.

Moving onto its aesthetic details, The 14 rail cars in the Holiday Train bring it to nearly 1,000 feet long, with each car decorated with hundreds of thousands of LED lights and holiday designs, according to a press release from the Village of Gurnee. The concert is free, but community members are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to a local food pantry. Donations will benefit the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

In relation to parking arrangements for visitors, Holiday Train visitors can park at Viking Park and Viking Park Middle School at 4460 Old Grand Ave., or at Warren Township High School at 500 N. O'Plaine Road, according to a press release from the Village of Gurnee.

To delve into some history behind this beloved tradition, The Holiday Train has collected more than 3.9 million pounds of food since the first train ran in 1999 and raised more than $9 million, according to a press release from the Village of Gurnee. Thousands of people make their way trackside at depots, railroad crossings, and other spots along the Holiday Train's route to watch the brightly decorated trains lighting up the night.

As for this year's entertainment, Tenille Townes and Breland will ride in vintage private cars at the end of the Holiday Train, according to a press release from the Village of Gurnee. They will leave those rail cars and climb aboard a boxcar that opens into a stage for their live holiday concerts. Read more about the CPKC Holiday Train at www.cpr.ca/holiday-train.