Whitt, four, and Carter, seven, visit with Victorian Santa during the Brown House’s Christmas market Saturday, Dec. 6. Staff and volunteers in period clothing greeted guests, inviting them to tour the decorated home and take a break from the cold weather.  Allison LaBrot / The Wylie News

Wylie drew crowds throughout the weekend as holiday events filled the downtown area with lights, music and seasonal cheer.

The festivities kicked off Friday night as residents lined the railroad tracks on the west side of downtown to welcome the CPKC Holiday Train, which rolled into town along the CPKC railway between West Oak and Marble streets. Ablaze with festive lights, the train’s annual mission is to encourage local food donations and provide free entertainment from a boxcar converted into a stage. This year’s performers, Emily Ann Roberts and Dylan Marlowe, played to a packed crowd, extending their concert by an additional 15 minutes.

Engine 2246 replaced Rudy the tank engine, a fan favorite, who was recently retired. CPKC operates two holiday trains that make nearly 200 stops while covering thousands of miles during November and December. In Texas, stops included Texarkana, Jefferson, Pittsburg and Sulphur Springs, with the next destination after Wylie set for Dec. 9 in Gurnee, Illinois.

“We thought the weekend of events was a huge success, starting with the CPKC Holiday Train,” said Craig Kelly, public information officer for the city of Wylie. 

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