Holiday Train Christmas Concert

The CPKC Holiday Train tours across Canada raising money for food banks each year. In 2025 it visits Port Coquitlam on December 20th with the Bare Naked Ladies.

The train brings festive music and community cheer to over 100 towns and cities across the country. It visits about two dozen communities in British Columbia. In addition to Port Coquitlam, other stops in the Lower Mainland in December are in Agassiz, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Port Moody. At each stop the train stays for about half an hour and a band performs. Admission is free, but it’s a fundraising event for local food banks. Donations of cash and food are greatly appreciated.

In 2025 the event in Port Coquitlam is on Saturday, December 20th. The band at all the BC locations this year is the Bare Naked Ladies (of “If I Had a Million Dollars” fame).

For full details about the train’s final stop in BC, see the portcoquitlam.ca website. To learn about the train in general, and its other stops in the region, see our article about the CPKC Holiday Train in the Lower Mainland.

Port Coquitlam Christmas Train & Other Events

Port Coquitlam celebrates the holiday season in a number of ways. Winter in the City features a series of events in the community between late November and around Christmas. There is the Christmas in the Square & Winter Market on November 29th, Parade of Lights on December 6th, and CPKC Holiday Train on December 20th. There is also Brighten Up PoCo, which is a contest for people decorating their places with displays and holiday lights.

For details about the various Christmas-y events in Port Coquitlam, see the Winter in the City, Christmas in the Square & Winter Market, Parade of Lights, or Brighten Up PoCo pages on the City of Port Coquitlam’s website. To learn more about the train event, click CPKC Holiday Train or continue reading.

CPKC Holiday Train in 2025

The CPKC Holiday Train is a popular annual tradition that brings holiday spirit while supporting local food banks. Attendees can enjoy live music, festive decorations and family-friendly activities as the train makes its way through communities across North America. The event encourages people to bring food or cash donations to help local families in need during the holiday season.

When the train visits a community it usually stays for just half an hour. The same as in many other cities, in Port Coquitlam there is a mini festival before the train arrives.

In 2025, for about two and a half hours before the CPKC Holiday Train appears, there are free, fun, family-friendly activities at Port Coquitlam Community Centre. The centre is just half a block or so from where the concert with the Bare Naked Ladies takes place on the train later in the evening. Prior to the train’s arrival, there are craft activities for kids as well as the showing of the movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas. There is also hot chocolate and popcorn.

Note: The CPKC Holiday Train used to be called the CP Holiday Train. That was until the Canadian Pacific Railway, or CPR, merged with the Kansas City Southern Railway in 2021 to become Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The new mega company is based in Calgary.

For full details about the train’s final stop on December 20th in 2025, click CPKC Holiday Train in Port Coquitlam.

When & Where is the Train in 2025

The Holiday Train stops in Port Coquitlam sometime between early December and just before Christmas Eve each year. It arrives at a designated location where spectators can gather safely along the route. Local families, friends and community members are encouraged to arrive early to secure a good viewing spot and enjoy the pre-show activities.

In 2025 the train is in Agassiz on December 19th at 5:45 pm, Maple Ridge at 8:00 pm, and Pitt Meadows at around 9:05 pm. The next day, on December 20th, it’s in Port Moody at 5:15 pm and then in Port Coquitlam at 6:45.

In Port Coquitlam the train stops on the tracks by Kingsway Avenue between Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue. The location is by the Port Coquitlam West Coast Express Station at 2125 Kingsway Avenue. The festivities prior to the arrival of the train, meanwhile, are at Port Coquitlam Community Centre. Its address is 2159 Wilson Avenue.

What to Expect

The train features brightly decorated rail cars including a modified boxcar stage where performers play a mix of traditional and modern holiday songs. A short ceremony with local officials usually takes place before the full performance. The performance lasts approximately 30 minutes with a lively farewell as the train continues on its journey.

Alongside the arrival of the train, the City of Port Coquitlam often offers free community activities including holiday-themed art activities, hot chocolate and seasonal treats for attendees. In previous years, a special holiday movie screening was also part of the event creating a full evening of festive fun for families and friends.

For full details about the train’s final stop on December 20th in 2025, click CPKC Holiday Train in Port Coquitlam.

About the Bare Naked Ladies

The Bare Naked Ladies is a Canadian rock band from Scarborough Ontario. One of their most famous songs is “If I Had a Million Dollars.” Other hits have been “Brian Wilson”, “Call and Answer”, “It’s All Been Done”, “One Week”, “The Old Apartment” and “Pinch Me”.

About the CPKC Holiday Train

The CPKC Holiday Train is a Christmas train that stops in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland including Agassiz, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.

Each year, the train travels across Canada and the US hosting free, family-friendly concerts while raising cash and food donations for local food banks. People gather to see the train with a 1,000 feet long line of brightly decorated rail cars and enjoy live holiday music. Donations of cash or non-perishable food are encouraged and CPKC makes additional contributions at each stop to support the local community.