Little Obie locomotive headed to Frosty Fest

Little Obie, a 6-foot-high scale model of a Canadian National locomotive, will be added to the lineup of other attractions at West Chicago's annual celebration of the holiday season, Frosty Fest.

The event is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in downtown.

Bethany Bayci, special events coordinator for the city, applied to CN earlier this year in the hopes that Little Obie, which helps educate kids about the dangers of playing near the railroad tracks, would be available for the event she is organizing with a committee of volunteers and community partners.

CN police promote rail safety with Obie to thousands of children at community events across Canada and the United States to help prevent injuries and save lives.

"As a railroad town, including Little Obie at Frosty Fest provides tremendous value as a fun, yet educational component, for the hundreds of children who will be in attendance. We are thrilled to include it with all the other exciting features of the event," Bayci said.

Other Frosty Fest activities include a Frosty 4K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., a Frosty Procession at 4 p.m., a tree-lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m., followed by other activities, performances and refreshments.

For details, visit www.westchicago.org under Special Events. To learn more about Little Obie and CN's safety program, visit littleobie.ca/.