The Lou lights up with holiday events
Magical events, sparkling lights, Victorian decor and candy cane hunts create seasonal hoopla sure to bring out the holiday spirit in the entire family.
Train buffs can indulge in the atmosphere that surrounds vintage railroad cars at St. Louis Union Station where all the fixings are provided for visitors to make festive holiday ornaments and where hundreds of members of local choirs perform holiday favorites during the 20th Annual “Sing Out
St. Louis” celebration, December 17.
Before there were trains, the popular mode of mass transportation was horse drawn. Partake in a classic experience via Holiday Carriage Rides, December 1-22 in St. Louis’ Clayton neighborhood. Horse-drawn carriage rides transport holiday shoppers and diners along gaily-decorated Clayton streets alive with thousands of twinkling holiday lights and festive window decorations.
Return to the 1800s during the Winter Holiday Candlelight Walk in Faust Park, December 2 and 3. The mid-1800 homes of Faust Historical Village will be decked in historically accurate style. Craftspeople will offer handmade ornaments and gifts for sale. An activity station offers children a chance to make period decorations and toys. Re-enactors will demonstrate traditional entertainment and tours. Throughout the night, minstrels will provide lively tunes as hot cider and cookies warm the way.
See how the holidays were celebrated in the opulent Victorian era during the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial’s (Old Courthouse) Victorian Holidays & St. Louis Traditions, November 25 through December 31. Period decorations and a 25-foot Christmas tree set the mood for this event. Visitors are entertained with free holiday concerts and can tour the museum galleries which depict holiday celebrations throughout St. Louis’ history.
On December 11, put on your warm, comfy shoes for the Lafayette Square Holiday Tour. This self-guided walking tour of the Lafayette Square neighborhood includes 10 mansions decorated in their holiday finest giving visitors a chance to experience the elegance and gentility of the 1800s while in St. Louis’ most historic Victorian neighborhood.
Did you know that St. Louis hosts the Midwest’s biggest and best holiday parade on Thanksgiving Day? The St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade, November 24, makes a big holiday statement as more than 120 marching bands, colorful floats, large inflated balloons and, of course, Santa Claus, wind through the friendly streets of Downtown St. Louis.
No matter what your idea of the perfect holiday, you’ll find it in St. Louis. Fantastic seasonal flower shows are in bloom. The beautiful Jewel Box within historic Forest Park is transformed into a paradise of poinsettias of all colors, shapes and sizes. At the Missouri Botanical Garden’s holiday flower show titled “Gardenland Express,” see dozens of G-scale trains parading through scenic landscapes of gorgeous poinsettias and colorful seasonal plants and flowers. Elaborately decorated holiday wreaths created by St. Louis’ top floral designers also are on view.
The Missouri Botanical Garden will also host a variety of cultural events. On December 28, experience “Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits.” This contemporary African-American holiday event will center on the feast table of the harvest. Visitors can enjoy storytelling, craft and jewelry displays, plus African drumming and musical performances.
Holiday light displays sparkle throughout St. Louis. The shimmer of the holidays glows at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Way of Lights; the Winter Wonderland lights at Tilles County Park and the more than 800,000 lights that adorn the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
How about taking a picture on the “Polar Bear Express?” Head to the Saint Louis Zoo for U.S. Bank Wild Lights, November 25 through December 30, for this festive photo op on a stationary Zooline Railroad train engine dressed up for the holidays. Afterward, stroll through the Zoo’s enchanting holiday wonderland and enjoy thousands of colorful lights, animated light displays and seasonal sounds. Be sure to step into the sub-Antarctic and go nose to beak with the animals at Penguin & Puffin Coast.
Children ages 2-12 years old are invited to enjoy holiday fun at the St. Louis Carousel in Faust Park on Saturday, December 3 at 10 a.m. It has been rumored that Carousel deer have stashed candy canes in Faust Park for children to find. Hundreds of candy canes will be hidden in the Historic Village and lawn around the Carousel. Some candy canes will have special prizes attached.
Scott Joplin, known as the Father of Ragtime, spent some of his most productive years in St. Louis. On December 10, return to the age of ragtime during the Scott Joplin House Holiday Celebration. The festive event will fill the only remaining residence linked to Joplin with live ragtime music for a toe-tapping holiday happening. Visitors can also tour Joplin’s apartment, an exhibit area and have light refreshments.
For more information regarding holiday activities in your own backyard, log onto the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission website www.beatourist.com. Happy holidays!
