Holiday Train stopping through southeast Minnesota this December

Mark your calendars: Canadian Pacific Railway's Holiday Train will be making multiple stops in southeast Minnesota on Dec. 5.

Among the stops in our area:

• Rochester, 1 p.m. End of 16th Avenue NW, next to the Barlow Hy-vee
• Kasson, 2:35 p.m. E Main St Between 1 Ave NE & 2 Ave NE
• Owatonna, 4:05 p.m. 1145 Park Drive at the rail crossing, near Owatonna Bus Company

You can see a full schedule here.

The Holiday Train will be traveling to a total of 182 communities along the rail provider's North American network. The festive locomotives (there are actually two of them) are about 1,000 feet in length with 14 brightly decorated rail cars. 

The events are free and open to the public. However, like they have in past years, Canadian Pacific employees will be collecting food and monetary donations for local food banks at each stop.

According to the company's website, all donations stay in the communities where they are collected. Since 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $10 million and 4 million pounds of food for North American food banks.

Cover photo courtesy Canadian Pacific Railway