CP Holiday Train

One of the stops on the annual Christmas CPKC Holiday Train series is in Maple Ridge where people can enjoy music while also helping local food banks.

The train visited the Lower Mainland on December 19th and 20th in 2025. It’s in Agassiz, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows on the Friday. The next day it has stops with live music in Port Moody and Port Coquitlam. At each place the event is free to attend (although donations the local food bank are greatly appreciated).

(Note: The train used to be called the CP Holiday Train and in years past it only visited Canadian cities over the Christmas holiday season. In 2021 Canadian Pacific Railway bought the Kansas City Southern Railway. Because of the new Canadian Pacific Kansas City name, and the fact that the holiday train visits a number of American cities, the train is now the CPKC Holiday Train.)

The Maple Ridge CP Holiday Train Event

The CPKC Holiday Train is a Christmas tradition that features free concerts at stops across Canada and the United States. In 2025 there are 116 stops in Canada and another 80 or so in the US (which is over three times as many as there have been some years in the past). About two dozen of the stops are in British Columbia this year, including the one in Maple Ridge which is one of the final stops of the holiday season.

The event is a charitable one. The Maple Ridge CP Holiday Train event was organized by the Friends in Need Food Bank last year. That will likely be the case again in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed. The organization collects both food and monetary donations to give to those in need. Since 1999 the holiday train has raised over $24 million and more than 5 million pounds of food across North America!

In 2025 the Maple Ridge CP Holiday Train event is on Friday, December 19th. The concert happens at Port Haney Station, located at 22302 River Road. Performers las year were Magic! and Sofia Camara. In 2025 the featured band is The Bare Naked Ladies.

WINTER IN THE CITY

A number of fun, free Christmas-y events also happen in nearby Port Coquitlam. Winter in the City includes the Christmas in the Square & Winter Market (on November 29th), the Parade of Lights (on December 6th) and CPKC Holiday Train (on December 20th). Check out these events too if you can!

What to Expect

In 2025 the train arrives in Maple Ridge at 8:00 pm. Last year the festivities began an hour earlier. As of mid-October, when and what happens beforehand is to be confirmed.

The train itself is about 1,000 feet long and covered in decorative lights. The displays are bright and festive and sometimes change between a couple of different designs as they roll past.

After the train pulls into the station one of its cars opens up and reveals a stage with the event’s musical guests. The concert runs for 30 minutes. You can expect a mix of the artists’ original songs as well as some traditional holiday classics.

The event doesn’t last for very long, but it’s free and a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. It’s also an opportunity to give to a great local cause (which is also in the Christmas spirit).

Other CPKC Holiday Train Stops

The CPKC Holiday Train hits plenty of destinations on its journey. In fact, the same as the year before, the 2025 Maple Ridge event is one of four stops on the same day. The first concert on December 19th is in Lytton at 11:30 am. After that there are ones in Agassiz at 5:45 pm, Maple Ridge at 8:00 pm and Pitt Meadows at 9:05 pm.

December 20th is the final day of the CPKC Holiday Train for the season in British Columbia (and second-to-last in Canada as a different train finishes in Saskatchewan on the 21st). On December 20th there is the Port Moody Event with its concert at 5:15 pm. The final show is in Port Coquitlam that same evening, starting at 6:45 pm (although other festivities happening in that community begin at 4:00 pm).

All of the events listed above are free and all of them collect money and food for charitable organizations. See our article about the CP Holiday Train in the Lower Mainland to learn more about the stops outside of Maple Ridge.