The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will be chugging toward Gurnee on Dec. 3, decorated for the season. Jeanne Balmes and hundreds of other local residents  will be waiting for the scheduled 5 p.m. stop on Depot Road.

Not only will it be fun for kids and adults, the annual event is also a way to raise money and collect food for the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Gurnee is one of few villages in Illinois that get the pleasure of seeing all the lights and enjoying entertainment when the train comes by, said Balmes. She’s a member of the  the Village of Gurnee Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the event.

“The train stops in a few towns in Illinois and some in Wisconsin,” she said.

“It’s a great public service,” she said.

Visitors can  enjoy free coffee, popcorn, pizza, and other refreshments while watching entertainment from the box car. A certain white-haired bearded gentleman should also be on board.

Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable item or cash donations. The Northern Illinois Food Bank truck will be there to collect the items.

“There’s a lot of need out there right now,” said Balmes.

Last year, 800 attendees donated food as well as $550 in cash, said Craig Hathaway, the Chamber’s executive director.

“Plus the food bank received $86,000 in cash donations from local businesses and organizations,” Hathaway said.

Balmes suggests parking in the Viking Park lot off of Old Grand Avenue, then walking to the train stop.