Some more holiday happenings around the ChiTown area...

You know I really hate when these things just creep up on ya....or when organizations plan these events waaaay before Christmas. I just found out the CTA Holiday Train already was on the Orange Line which is the train closest to us....humpf! Well, anyway, The Chicago Transit Authority is getting into the Christmas spirit with their popular Holiday Train! Santa and his elves will ride the train passing out candy canes and Christmas greetings.

The train is an amazing and..uh...scary sight - during the daytime and at night! You'll get a warm and funny feeling just watching it come up at your stop. The outside of the six-car train is adorned with holiday seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling (flashing...hope you don't have seizures...ha ha) lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars. Let me tell ya; it's quite busy and blinding! If you're going or coming from work take pictures and post them on Facebook! It's really funny and cool to see!

Inside the cars are totally decked out with loads of multi-colored flashing lights, red bows, garland, and red and green overhead lighting. The hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes or a barber pole if you're Jewish, Pagan, Buddhist, Muslim, etc...

As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves eagerly to the boarding passengers (and those just standing on the platform astounded by the sight of a Griswald-esque image of a CTA train in real life) from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar carrying his reindeer and brightly decorated holiday trees freezing his "bucks" off. Poor thing; I hope he's bundled up, eh? Think he has a bit of booze meshed into his hot cocoa?

Just so you know if you happen to be traveling to and from work you can take the Holiday Train. Just take pictures and share, eh?


The Holiday Train will travel all CTA rail lines in December as part of regular rail service and generally operates from about 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on select weekdays (schedules for each rail line will vary), and will make stops at all stations along the respective routes. The holiday train is the same price of a regular train/bus ride. Below are the current and upcoming dates and train lines the Holiday Train will travel upon:



Blue Line:
12/6 - Thu

12/7 - Fri

12/8 - Sat (Photo w/Santa day)



Red Line:
12/12 - Wed



Purple Line:
12/13 - Thu



Red Line:
12/14 - Fri



Red Line & Purple Line:
12/15 - Sat (Photo with Santa day.)



Red Line:
12/18 - Tue



Purple Line:
12/19 - Wed



Yellow Line:
12/20 - Thu



Red Line & Purple Line:
12/22 - Sat

FOR ACTUAL TIMES CLICK HERE and click on the light blue dates of the schedule.