CP Holiday Train in Port Moody

Port Moody celebrates the Christmas season with a visit by the CP Holiday Train, a free concert and family-friendly activities in December each year.

In 2024 the train is in Port Moody on Friday, December 20th. Performers at the showpiece are MAGIC! and Sofia Camara. Details about other activities are to be confirmed.

For information about the train in general and its stops in other Lower Mainland locations, see our article about the CP Holiday Train in the Vancouver Region.

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About the CP Holiday Train | About the Port Moody Event | Tips & Advice | CP Holiday Train Video | Other Information

Port Moody’s Holiday Train Christmas Event

The CP Holiday Train has visited the community of Port Moody just before Christmas for a number of years now. The town holds a variety of activities when the train rolls in. Celebrations continue even after it leaves.

In 2024 the train stops behind the Port Moody Recreation Complex, located at 300 loco Road, on Friday, December 20th.

The main concert is from 5:45 pm until 6:15 pm but the event as a whole begins at 5:30 pm and ends at 7:30 pm. There are also a couple of short film screenings next door at the Inlet Theatre at 100 Newport Drive.

CP Train Christmas Lights — The CP Holiday Train

About the CP Holiday Train

The CP Holiday Train is a Canadian Pacific Railway train that gets decorated in Christmas lights and travels across Canada. It visits towns across the country. The doors to one of the train cars open at each stop and a band comes out to play so the locals get treated to a free Christmas concert.

The train makes a few stops in the Lower Mainland each year including in Agassiz, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. At each venue, there is a 30-minute concert and donation drives collecting food and money for the town’s local food bank.

Most CP Holiday Train events last for less than an hour and feature just the free concert and a few short speeches. Port Moody, however, hosts a bigger event than most!

Rotarians Serving Hot Chocolate — Rotary Club Hot Chocolate Station

About the Port Moody Event

Unlike most other CP Holiday Train events across Canada, the festivities in Port Moody typically last around two or three hours. The official “CP Train” part runs for the usual 30 to 45 minutes or so, but there are other performers and craft activities for kids before and after.

In 2024, there is some live music beginning at 5:30 pm, before the train arrives. After the CP Holiday Train concert and after the train departs, there is more live music as well as button-making, arts and crafts, and temporary tattoo opportunities inside the Rec Centre. There’s also chili, hot dogs and refreshments available, and a big bonfire to keep warm outside.

The École Moody Middle School of the Arts choir is one of the groups performing at the event this year. Other local musicians will also perform, and you can usually expect some caroling to help get into the Christmas spirit.

Close by, at the Inlet Theatre, there are two screenings of the short film Prep & Landing. Those run at 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm, so after the train leaves. The whole evening wraps up around 7:30 pm.

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your CP Holiday Train experience.

TIP #1: It’s a fundraising event, so don’t forget to take some non-perishable food items or cash for the food bank. Also, give generously when “buying” your hot chocolate or popcorn. Funds raised at the Port Moody event benefit SHARE Family & Community Services.

TIP #2: There are a number of CP Holiday Train events each year. If you live close to one, check it out! For the list of other locations in the Vancouver region, click CP Holiday Train in the Lower Mainland.

TIP #3: Advantages of going to the Port Moody event are that it lasts longer than other CP Holiday Train events. There’s more to do and there are indoor activities as well as ones outside.

TIP #4: A disadvantage of the Port Moody event is that it takes place earlier in the evening, which can mean fighting rush hour traffic to get there. Either plan to arrive early and do something beforehand, or take public transit. The Inlet Centre SkyTrain Station is just a 10-minute walk away.

TIP #5:If the weather isn’t nice, don’t forget to take an umbrella and a raincoat. And if it has rained at all in the previous couple of days, wear boots as the ground can get muddy and puddled.

TIP #6: Other Christmas-themed events you might want to check out in the Tri-Cities region include Christmas Tea Lights in Belcarra Regional Park and Lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam.

CP Holiday Train Video

Wondering what the train and one of the concerts look like? Then check out this video of the train cars, lights and music at the event in Port Moody.

The concert and music featured in the video are with the Sam Roberts Band along with Kelly Prescott, Tracey Brown and Tyson Venegas, all of whom performed at the Port Moody event in 2018.