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Santa travels from The Elegant Farmer to East Troy by rail, then switches to a fire truck for the tree lighting and the start of the East Troy Lights season.
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
The East Troy Christmas Parade Train is a procession to watch, not a ride to board. On December 5, 2026, Santa and his elves will greet spectators at crossings along the route before Santa continues to Village Square Park.
Decorated with lights and accompanied by music, the train travels from Elegant Farmer Station toward Division Street. The railroad museum schedules approximately five minutes at each listed crossing, giving Santa and his elves time to talk with spectators. The times are approximate, so choose a crossing for the train itself rather than treating the timetable as an exact appointment.
At Division Street, Santa transfers to an East Troy Fire Department truck for the two-block trip south to Village Square Park. His scheduled arrival there is tied to the lighting of the Bob Barutha Memorial Christmas Tree and the debut of the 2026 East Troy Lights season.
Further reading: East Troy Christmas Parade Train | WalCo ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · East Troy Lights ↗
The museum traces the idea to Shuster's Department Store, which began running a Christmas parade train on Milwaukee’s streetcar network in 1927. The annual procession continued until the city’s last trolley lines were abandoned in the 1950s.
In 1972, volunteers with the Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society revived the tradition in East Troy, where the society had begun operating trolley rides on a surviving portion of the system. The parade still connects the holiday gathering to that electric-railway history.
Further reading: Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
East Troy Lights describes its Village Square display as an interactive light show, with light tunnels and a Candy Cane Adventure among its attractions. The display first launched in 2020; this year’s December 5 debut begins the 2026 season. It is free to walk.
For visitors who want to ride rather than watch, the museum lists separate Daytime Christmas Trains and Santa's Special Evening Christmas Trains. Those trips go from East Troy Depot to Santa’s workshop; they are distinct from the parade train.
Further reading: East Troy Lights ↗ · Christmas Trains - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
The museum lists brief crossing stops followed by Santa’s arrival at Village Square Park. Times are approximate.
The event is listed from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The museum’s crossing timetable is approximate.
East Troy Christmas Parade Train | WalCo ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
A spectator admission fee and booking requirement are not stated. The parade train is not a public ride.
East Troy Christmas Parade Train | WalCo ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
Parking and accessible viewing arrangements at individual crossings are not specified. Contact the museum at 262-642-3263 with questions before choosing a viewing spot.
The parade departs Elegant Farmer Station and travels to Division Street; Santa then continues to East Troy Village Square Park. The museum lists The Elegant Farmer Platform at 1545 Main Street, Mukwonago, WI 53146.
The map and directions links point to East Troy Depot, 2002 Church Street, East Troy, not to a selected crossing or the square. They can calculate directions to the depot from your starting point.
Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · Locate Us - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · East Troy Christmas Parade Train | WalCo ↗
The museum lists free parking at East Troy Depot and says its lot is two doors north of the depot. The depot is not the parade train’s departure point, and parking arrangements at the crossings are not specified.
FAQs - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · Locate Us - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
No. It is intended to be watched along the route. The museum offers separate daytime and special evening Christmas train rides.
Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · Christmas Trains - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗
The museum’s approximate timetable allows about five minutes at each listed crossing.
He is scheduled to travel two blocks south by East Troy Fire Department truck to Village Square Park for the tree lighting and East Troy Lights season debut.
East Troy Lights says the Village Square display is free to walk. Spectator admission terms for the parade itself are not stated.
East Troy Lights ↗ · Christmas Parade Train - East Troy Railroad Museum ↗ · East Troy Christmas Parade Train | WalCo ↗
East Troy Depot, 2002 Church St, East Troy, WI 53120
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-10-28 against the linked sources.