Get ready for an unforgettable early-holiday event in Southeast Iowa that benefits the community in a powerful way. The iconic CPKC Holiday Train will stop in Ottumwa on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. at 1300 Wildwood Drive across from Kohl’s, hosted by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
The free live performance hosted aboard the Holiday Train features major musical guests Smash Mouth and JJ Wilde. Cookies and cocoa have also been donated by local businesses, and Santa Claus will make an appearance for kids of all ages.
10-15 Transit will provide shuttle service from the back parking lot of the Quincy Place Mall to the CPKC station beginning at 8:30 a.m. The shuttles will run on a loop, dropping off at the entrance to the station on Highway 34, then return patrons to the mall parking lot following the show.
CPKC will make a donation to the Food Bank of Iowa’s Ottumwa Distribution Center, chosen by Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson as the recipient of all funding from the event again this year. Since its launch in 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised more than $26 million and collected 5.4 million pounds of food across North America, helping communities like Ottumwa battle food insecurity at the local level.
Most importantly, you can make a difference in the lives of residents of Ottumwa and Wapello County by bringing nonperishable food and monetary donations for the Food Bank of Iowa to use right here in our community.
“We’re thrilled that the anonymous donor who announced a matching gift last year has stepped up again to support donations as part of the CPKC Holiday Train stop in Ottumwa on Nov. 26. Thanks to this generous donor, every donation will be matched up to $5,000,” said Sandra McReynolds, Branch Manager of the Ottumwa Distribution Center.
According to Feeding America’s latest Map the Meal Gap study, 15.2% of Wapello County residents, or 5,340 people, face food insecurity. This is the second-highest level of food insecurity in the state. Donations at the Holiday Train event will stay in our community and benefit those in need in Wapello County.
For more information about the Holiday Train’s stop in Ottumwa, visit www.meetottumwa.org/events or call the Ottumwa Distribution Center at 641-682-3403.
