Christmas at the Depot offers traditional celebration

Christmas at the Depot will be held between 5-7 p.m. Friday at the historic train depot, 400 S. Main St.

Volunteers working with the depot project suggest experiencing all the fun and festivity of Christmas by visiting the depot and attending the annual lighted Christmas parade.

“Come walk down the historic memory lane and experience the beauty of the depot,” said board member Nila Keller. “A lot of people have never been to the depot in Historic Downtown Poplar Bluff.”

The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at Hydro Adventures, the water park in south Poplar Bluff, and will end at the Black River Coliseum.

There will be lights inside and outside of the depot, as well as on the grand staircase. There will be a Christmas tree lighting.

“View the lighted displays as part of watching the lighted parade,” Keller said.

Along with the twinkling lights, you may hear old and new Christmas music, Keller said, and “feel the magic of the season.”

Keller explained a lot of work has been done on the depot this year, and the volunteers are eager to have visitors come view their handiwork.

The depot is the Amtrak stop in Poplar Bluff. The brick Union Pacific (UP) depot was built in 1910 by the St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, the first railroad to come through town. The St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern was succeeded by the Missouri Pacific in 1917 and then by the UP in 1982.

The Colonial Revival-influenced station remains largely as it was, and the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Adding the station to the National Register was the first step to preserve the building and the tall, classical outdoor staircase connecting the below-street-level depot with Main Street in the old downtown. Between 2001 and 2003, a citizens committee worked with UP to take ownership of the building.

By May 2007, the depot was listed by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation as one of the 10 most endangered historic properties..

The Poplar Bluff Historic Train Depot Corporation has secured grants to help with various projects.

The Historic Train Depot board will be holding fundraisers in the future for remodeling expenses. One of the upcoming projects is purchasing heat and air conditioning equipment.

Donations are being accepted.

The board strongly suggests wearing masks and social distancing, Keller said, adding “there will be plenty of space.”

For more information, call 573-718-5160.