It’s the Holiday Season in Missouri
Jefferson City, Mo. — Fall is in the air. The summer heat is gone – daytime is getting shorter – daylight saving time ends on November 6. The months of November and December are often referred to as: the holiday season. The “holidays” are generally an observance of a day or period of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations and festivities. The key words here are celebrations and festivities.
But before you settle down for that long winter’s nap (winter doesn’t begin until December 22), set aside some time for your family to experience the joy that is Missouri’s holiday spirit. Towns and cities across Missouri offer-up local holiday activities: shopping events; Thanksgiving dinners; parades; holiday lights; craft bazaars; visits with Santa; tree-lighting ceremonies; decorated homes; Christmas trees; and a long list of special activities.
Of the thousands – make that tens-of-thousands – of holiday events in the Show-Me State, these listed below are a few examples of what Missouri has to offer; holiday events and activities that go beyond “local” in scope.
Branson Lights Lake Taneycomo Bridge; Photo courtesy Branson CVB
A great way to start is experiencing the magic of the season at the Branson Area Festival of Lights, November 1-January 2. The drive-through display delights children and adults alike. Your journey takes you on a one-mile drive along a path illuminated by more than 175 light displays. This one-of-a-kind family experience is always spectacular; one trip through may not be enough.
Celebrate the holidays in style at Christmas at the Precious Moments Chapel, November 4, in Carthage. Attend the lighting ceremony and pay tribute to the most meaningful Christmas message of all, with a candlelight walk, inspiring words, praise in song, and the beauty of more than 20,000 outdoor lights. View the four-foot tall wooden cutout, Precious Moments artwork, created by Samuel J. Butcher. You find entertainment; photo opportunities with Precious Moments costumed characters; gift shop specials; and Royal Delights snacks and treats. Christmas lights remain on in the evenings until December 23.
November 10-12, ladies will love the Sugarplum Festival, held at the Albrecht-Kemper Art Museum, in St. Joseph. The museum is transformed into a winter wonderland. The Festival is a chance to do some early holiday shopping and learn some decorating ideas. The kids will be excited to hand-make Christmas presents for the family. When they are finished making their creations, there is a holiday movie.
On November 12, the small community of Weston holds its annual Holiday Open House; Weston’s historic district (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is dressed for the holidays. Attend the city’s Christmas tree lighting at 5:30 p.m., accompanied by Christmas caroling and other holiday festivities. Weston’s own Father Christmas arrives in the evening to begin the holiday season.
Santa’s Magical Kingdom brings happy faces to all the kids, November 18-January 1, in Eureka. Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Resort presents a holiday display where reindeer soar overhead, elves frolic in their tree-top village, and more than 2 million lights dazzle your senses. Visit with Santa in his workshop at Kringle’s General Store. Ride the Santa Express Train and take an old-fashioned holiday wagon through the Kingdom. This is a fun-filled adventure the entire family will love.
The historic Independence Square welcomes one and all to the Christmas Lighting Festivities, November 19. Activities include horse-drawn sleigh rides (for a fee); visits with Santa; cookie decorating; letters to Santa; face painting; strolling carolers; dancers and live music, including a children’s choir; followed by the throwing of the switch to illuminate the square, courthouse, and 24-foot-high tree decked with twinkling lights and decorations.
Seven wineries in the Hermann area usher in the holiday season by hosting the Holiday Fare Wine Trail, November 19-20. This is a celebration of good food paired with great Missouri wines, all served in a holiday theme. A limited number of tickets are available—advance purchase is required. Your ticket includes a souvenir wine glass. Tickets may be purchased online or by phone.
Springfield Festival of Lights; Photo courtesy Springfield CVB
It’s all downtown at Springfield’s Festival of Lights; a six-week celebration, November 19-December 31, with activities ranging from musical performers to Santa, shopping to free fun for kids and adults, holiday lights to arts and crafts. You’re sure to find something to delight every member of the family.
The Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, in Salem, invites you to a Trees and Trains exhibit, November 20-December 24. Local folks each decorated a tree using their own creative talents; thousands of lights and unique ornaments to make this a delightful visual spectacle. Adding charm to the tradition of decorations under the tree, there are miniature trains in a Christmas setting.
Visit Tilles Park, in St. Louis, where the Winter Wonderland light display is open November 23-January 1 (except Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). You can drive through the display, created and designed by St. Louis County Parks employees, but the best way to see the lights is by horse-drawn carriage. Cars are welcome Sunday through Friday; Saturdays are reserved for carriage rides. Tickets for carriage rides are available through MetroTix.
The renowned Missouri Botanical Garden, in St. Louis, holds its annual holiday flower and train show November 23-January 2. Named the Gardenland Express, the displays celebrate “the gifting tree,” by exploring the many benefits we receive from trees. Eight G-scale model trains travel through a whimsical landscape with towers of brightly colored presents and a “tree” of potted poinsettias; also featured throughout the display are more than 500 colorful poinsettias and other flowers.
Country Club Plaza; Photo courtesy Kansas City CVA
A world-famous tradition for more than eight decades, the Country Club Plaza’s Season of Lights is a Kansas City winter trademark. November 24-January 16, the 15-block spectacle features more than 80 miles of glimmering, jewel-colored lights that accentuate every dome, tower and window of the Spanish-inspired shopping, dining and entertainment district. The official Lighting Ceremony is held Thanksgiving evening, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.; immediately followed by fireworks displays. The Plaza Lights shine nightly throughout the season.
Escape to an old-fashioned Christmas, November 25-December 24, with storybook characters, holiday decorations, Victorian carolers, and Santas from around the world at Christmas Traditions, in St. Charles. Have breakfast with Santa Claus; stroll the cobble-stone streets; visit the unique shops. Activities include: parades; a fife and drum corps; carriage rides; and chestnut roasting.
November 25-December 30, in Independence, visit the past during a Spirit of Christmas Past Christmas Tour of the Bingham-Waggoner Estate. Every room is festively decorated with a special theme. A special Twilight Tour is offered December 4, with holiday music and complimentary refreshments.
Wentzville’s Rotary Park twinkles with holiday cheer during Holiday Night Lights. The one-mile light display features large commercial scenes and tunnels with twinkling, flashing lights that thrill everyone. The drive is open Thursday-Sunday, November 25-December 11; daily, December 15-December 30 (except Christmas Day). It is closed to vehicular traffic on December 12, which is set aside for families to walk through the displays; after the walk-through, families can enjoy free refreshments and visit Santa.
Civil War Christmas Tours are offered on Fridays and Saturdays, November 25-December 31, at Smallin Civil War Cave, in Ozark. This guided, 1.5 hour tour includes a lantern-light tour of the cave, twinkling Christmas lights, Civil War Christmas stories, and hot cocoa around a campfire. Fridays and Saturdays only. Reservations recommended. Smallin Cave was the first documented cave in the Ozarks; it holds a cache of Ozark history. The tour is wheelchair and stroller friendly.
On November 26, have a great time in Windsor, at Moonlight Madness. The day’s events include: a toy tractor show; craft shows, food vendors, live music throughout downtown; Santa Land with Santa and Mrs. Claus; numerous giveaways by civic organizations; and a lighted Christmas parade (at 6 p.m.), with Santa and Mrs. Claus taking the lead.
Children are invited to Breakfast with the Fairy Princess, November 26, at Zona Rosa in Kansas City. During an enchanting breakfast, kids can tell the Fairy Princess their special holiday wishes. The event features holiday entertainment and a child-friendly breakfast menu; each child receives a special gift from the Fairy Princess. Advance tickets are required.
If you know the Grinch, you know Whoville. Join the Grinch and celebrate Whoville Holidays, November 26, December 3, 10, 17, at Kansas City’s City Market. Great fun for kids and adults; take your camera to have a photo taken with The Grinch; visit the Whoville children’s activity area. Take a non-perishable canned good to benefit Harvesters.
The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents Black Nativity: A Holiday Celebration, November 26-December 18. This is a retelling of the classic nativity story, employing an entirely black cast. Traditional Christmas carols are sung in gospel style.
Travel to a time when Christmas was not so commercialized when you attend An Olde Fashion Christmas, November 27, in Washington, Missouri. Enjoy carolers, carriage rides, hayrides, hot cocoa and cider; decorate sugar cookies, make a Christmas craft, roast marshmallows, and get your face painted while anticipating the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Ever wonder how pioneers celebrated the holidays in the 1800s? Find out at the National Frontier Trails Museum, in Independence, December 1, 8 and 15. Christmas in the West includes a 30-minute guided tour exploring that very subject.
Silver Dollar City, Branson; Photo courtesy Silver Dollar City
In Branson, Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas is a magical event, with more than 4 million lights, a holiday light parade, a five-story special effects Christmas tree, family shows and theatrical productions, and festive food options. See it all, December 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-23, 26-30.
December 2, the downtown area of Columbia–The District–presents its Living Windows Festival. Shopkeepers move all the merchandise out of their front windows and stage live holiday performances for onlookers. Merchants go to great lengths to outdo one another. The night itself is a celebration of the holidays, as The District features open houses, strolling carolers, holiday treats and visits with Santa—all against a backdrop of holiday lights.
In Jefferson City, on December 2, the Living Windows Celebration is a treasured tradition many families consider the start of the Christmas season. Downtown storefronts come alive with dancers, singers, religious and holiday themes; hayrides wind their way through the streets; carolers stroll the street; and Santa Claus makes his yearly visit at Hawthorn Bank. More than 50 groups fill the three-block area with entertainment.
Something special happens on December 2-3, in Jefferson City: Candlelight Tours of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. See the Governor’s Mansion in its nighttime elegance and holiday splendor. During the tours, visitors have the opportunity to view decorations in several rooms of the historic brick building, which has been the home of Missouri Governors since 1871. Governor and Mrs. Nixon greet all visitors who tour the Mansion (unless official duties intercede). The free tours are offered 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., Friday, December 2; and 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, December 3.
Parkville holds a holiday celebration, Christmas on the River, which is sure to create lasting memories for you and your family. Activities on December 2-3, include: a family-friendly holiday kick-off with live entertainment; the 1,000-voice children’s choir from Park Hill School District; a Christmas Village for children; classic Christmas movies on Main Street; Santa’s arrival; and a spectacular firework display. For information, email: MSParkville@SBCglobal.net.
December 2-3, visit the Harry S. Truman Dam Visitor Center, in Warsaw, for a Kaysinger Christmas—1800s Style. This 1800s Christmas celebration fills the air with the sights, sounds and smells of days gone by. Attractions include: hay wagons; carolers; fireplaces; wood stoves; candles; luminaries; buildings decked out in old-fashioned decor; hot chocolate and hot cider. For information, dial 660-438-6968.
Six, beautifully decorated, historic homes open their doors to visitors, December 2-4, in Weston. The Candlelight Homes Tour is a celebration to remember. In the glow of candlelight, you are swept back in time as you experience great food, lovely music and carolers.
For more candlelight festivities, travel to Augusta, December 2 and 9. Picture yourself in a Norman Rockwell Christmas painting; that’s how you’ll feel during Augusta’s Candlelight Christmas Walk. More than 1,500 glowing luminaries welcome you to the sights, sounds and smells of ‘Christmas yesteryear’ in charming Augusta. Enjoy carriage rides, a bonfire, roasted chestnuts, and unique shopping opportunities.
Experience the 1800s at Historic Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village, in Defiance, with a historic Christmas Candlelight Tour. Walk the wandering paths of time, through the homes and shops of yesteryear, all illuminated only by the glow of candles. See the decorations from the past and hear the rhythm of holiday music. This event, December 2-3, 9-10, involves a good amount of outdoor walking.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas in Kimmswick, December 2-4. Luminaries line the streets; shops are decked out in their holiday splendor; carolers fill the streets with music; horse-drawn carriages carry you back in time; and historic buildings offer tours by candlelight.
WinterFest 2011 hits Springfield, December 2-4. The foyer of the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts is filled with the works of 39 artists; performers fill the lobby with music throughout the day; and large-scale performances (ticketed) take place in the theater. Fun, entertainment and Christmas shopping, all in one place.
The Kansas City Ballet presents their annual Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon, December 3, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. Revel in the vibrant and delicious Kingdom of Sweets; shop for unique holiday gifts at the Silent Auction and Nutcracker Market; and dine on a delicious three-course lunch. The enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy and her friends delight guests with a swirl of dancing and entertainment. This event benefits the Kansas City Ballet School. After the luncheon, enjoy the 2 p.m. matinee performance of The Nutcracker, performed at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
The Kansas City Ballet performs Tchaikovsky’s joyous holiday classic, The Nutcracker, December 3-24. The Nutcracker is staged at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra.
Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site offers its annual Christmas on the Farm, December 3, in Lawson. Activities at the home include holiday caroling, reading of family letters, free samples of traditional holiday treats, flaming of the plum pudding, and an opportunity to visit Father Christmas. Activities at the visitor center include kids’ crafts, live traditional holiday music and a performance by the Lathrop Singing Mules grade-school choir.
Christmas at the Old Courthouse, St. Louis
In St. Louis, the America’s Center Convention Complex is home to Holiday Magic, December 3-4. This popular family event celebrates the holidays with hands-on arts and crafts; trackless train rides; live music and dance performances; full-scale carnival rides; and photo opportunities with Santa and Snowflake.
Visit Stone Hill Winery’s heated pavilion, December 3-4, in Hermann, for a traditional German Christmas market. Kristkindl Markt is loaded with entertainment, carolers, arts and crafts vendors, hot soups and cider, many Christmas goodies, and Stone Hill wines.
Ste. Genevieve was the first European settlement west of the Mississippi River. December 3-4, Ste. Gen celebrates a French Christmas with a parade featuring city officials, Shriners, marching bands, Le Petite Chanteurs, homecoming queens, classic cars, Santa and Ms. Claus. In addition, there are strolling carolers; the Ste. Genevieve Art Guild show and sale; open houses at the Jacques Guibourd and Linden historic sites; lots of free entertainment; and the annual tree lighting ceremony.
December 4-6, attend A Dickens Victorian Christmas, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dickens, featuring holiday music, period dances, refreshments, games and frivolity. The event is at the Senior Hall Parlor on the campus of Stephens College, in Columbia.
The new Peabody Opera House, in St. Louis, presents special performances of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas–The Musical, December 7-18. Max the dog narrates this musical, as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas from the holiday loving “whos.”
The gorgeous Glenn House, in Cape Girardeau, offers Candlelight Tours, December 9-10. Built in 1883, the house is an outstanding example of the Victorian lifestyle. This whole-house museum is filled with Victorian-era Christmas decorations, hand-crafted architecture, furnishings, clothing, fashions and other period decor.
During special hours, December 9-10, four sites in New Madrid offer free Christmas Candlelight Tours and Open Houses: Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site; New Madrid Historical Museum, Higgerson School Historic Site, and the Hart-Stepp House (the oldest house in New Madrid). At the Hunter-Dawson Home, this is the only time of the year the oil lamps and chandeliers are lit.
In the presentation of Talkin’ Truman: Christmas at the White House, archivist David Clark takes you inside America’s most exclusive address, for a peek at the Truman family’s celebration of Christmas at the White House. This intimate holiday portrait is illustrated with photographs, letters, Christmas cards, and sound recordings from the Truman Library’s collection. Presented December 10, at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, in Independence.
There is a French Christmas Open House at Felix Valle House State Historic Site, in Ste. Genevieve, December 11. This annual celebration highlights the music, food, customs and decorations of an early French Christmas celebration known as “Le Réveillon.” Costumed guides explain the early 1800s customs; the dining room is filled with the traditional foods of the period; historic period music plays; and there are samples of the bûche de Noël – the Yule log cake.
Chanukah: Festival of Lights Celebration is celebrated at the Missouri Botanical Garden, in St. Louis on December 18. Chanukah (Hanukkah) is a traditional Jewish holiday celebration that includes festive Israeli music and dance, a menorah-lighting and Chanukah merchandise.
The Missouri Botanical Garden celebrates Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits, on December 28. Kwanzaa (a Swahili term meaning “first fruits”) is a contemporary African-American holiday centered on the feast table of the harvest. A Kwanzaa ceremony highlights a day of storytelling, craft and jewelry displays, and authentic African drumming and musical performances.
New Year’s Eve, often called First Night, is a big celebration, not only in the U.S. but across the world as well . . . certainly in Missouri.
New Year’s Eve is generally celebrated at social gatherings (large and small; public and private), during which participants dance, eat, drink, and watch fireworks to mark the incoming year. The observance of New Year’s Eve generally extends through midnight, into the first night of the New Year. There are numerous such celebrations throughout Missouri, far too many to mention. A few of the larger events are listed below; they may not match Times Square in size, but they include a lot more activities to entertain and involve the revelers.
First Night–Columbia, downtown in The District, provides a safe, alcohol-free, innovative alternative to the typical New Year’s Eve party. Enjoy a wide array of entertainment and art, with a special venue just for teens. Throughout the night, there is music, dance and theater, along with a children’s procession, a resolution sculpture, burden burning barrels, art displays, and an art creation area to make festive wear. Just before midnight, a grand procession leads revelers to the outdoor finale in the Courthouse Square.
First Night–Saint Louis is held in the Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District, where more than 150 artists and performers engage the audiences on New Year’s Eve. This is a winter celebration featuring visual and performing arts, musicians, storytellers, dancers, magicians and illusionists, actors, puppeteers, and many surprises. The ceremony includes a special fireworks display for children at 9 p.m.; and a grand finale fireworks show at midnight.
La Guiannée (La Guignolée) is a French medieval New Year’s Eve tradition that is still practiced in two towns in the United States; one of which is Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, where the La Guignolee celebration has taken place since the earliest arrivals from French Canada in the mid-1700s. Dressed in bizarre and somewhat archaic costumes, the revelers wander from place to place singing a beggars song for favors. You can see these singers and musicians, and participate in the frivolity as this centuries-old tradition is observed in Ste. Genevieve’s historic district.
First Night–Springfield is an alcohol-free, family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration with more than 20 performing groups, at a dozen venues: music; theatre; dance; comedy; magic; and other entertainment. Join the grand finale fireworks at midnight, in Jordan Valley Park.
This list doesn’t come close to covering everything there is to do in Missouri this season. The holiday season is a great, family time of year. Form some lasting memories at a special holiday event and get to know your family all over again.
On Missouri’s Official Tourism website, VisitMO.com, you’ll find listings for Missouri events, attractions and vacation ideas; plus, you can order a free copy of the Official Missouri Travel Guide and use the interactive online edition. Also, the Travel Guide is available by calling 800-519-4800. And yes, there is a free app for that — in the iTunes App Store, search for: “Official Missouri Travel Guide.”
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Links referenced in this article:
Branson Area Festival of Lights
www.ExploreBranson.com/christmas/bafol.php
Christmas at the Precious Moments Chapel
www.PreciousMomentsChapel.org
St. Joseph’s Sugarplum Festival
www.Albrecht-Kemper.org/category/events
Albrecht-Kemper Art Museum
www.Albrecht-Kemper.org
Weston’s Holiday Open House
www.WestonMo.com/entertainment/calendar.html#anchor_11
Santa’s Magical Kingdom
www.SantasMagicalKingdom.com
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Resort
www.EurekaJellystone.com
Independence Square Christmas Lighting Festivities
www.VisitIndependence.com/CalendarOfEvents.aspx
Hermann Holiday Fare Wine Trail
www.HermannWineTrail.com/wine-trail-events
Springfield Festival of Lights
www.SpringfieldMo.org/event/2011/11/19/day
Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center
www.oncrc.org
Lake Holiday Lights – Osage Beach
www.FunLakeEvents.com
Winter Wonder land – St. Louis
www.StLouisCo.com/ParksandRecreation/ThingsToDo/WinterWonderland
MetroTix
www.MetroTix.com
Missouri Botanical Garden’s Gardenland Express
www.MoBot.org/events/calendar.asp?Code=2011/11
Country Club Plaza’s Season of Lights
www.CountryClubPlaza.com/Events/Plaza-Lights
Christmas Traditions in St. Charles
www.StCharlesChristmas.com
Bingham-Waggoner Estate
www.BWEstate.org
Holiday Night Lights – Wentzville
www.WentzvilleMo.org/pr-holiday-night-lights.aspx
Civil War Christmas Tours at Smallin Civil War Cave
www.SmallinCave.com
Moonlight Madness in Windsor
www.WindsorMo.org/ScheduleOfEvents.html
Breakfast with the Fairy Princess
www.ZonaRosa.com/events.aspx
Zona Rosa
www.ZonaRosa.com
Kansas City’s City Market
www.TheCityMarket.org
St. Louis Black Repertory Company
Black Nativity: a Holiday Celebration
www.TheBlackRep.org
An Olde Fashion Christmas, Washington, Mo.
www.WashMo.org
National Frontier Trails Museum
www.FrontierTrailsMuseum.org
Christmas in the West
www.Ci.Independence.Mo.us/NFTM/Calendar.aspx
Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas
http://Festivals.BransonSilverDollarCity.com/mini-section/default.aspx?id=55
Living Windows Festival – Columbia
www.DiscoverTheDistrict.com/events.html
Living Windows Celebration – Jefferson City
www.VisitJeffersonCity.com/event-calendar/december
Governor’s Mansion
www.Mansion.Mo.gov
Parkville
www.ParkvilleMo.com
Harry S. Truman Dam Visitor Center
www.nwk.usace.army.mil/ht/VisitorCenter.cfm
Candlelight Homes Tours – Weston
www.WestonMo.com/entertainment/calendar.html
Augusta’s Candlelight Christmas Walk
www.Augusta-Chamber.org/events.asp?ac=ind&event=113165
Historic Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village
www.Lindenwood.edu/boone
Christmas Candlelight Tour –Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village
www.Lindenwood.edu/boone/docs/2011/candlelight.pdf
Christmas in Kimmswick
www.VisitKimmswick.com/christmas_in_kimmswick
WinterFest 2011 – Springfield
www.HammonsHall.com/Shows.aspx?id=181
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
www.HammonsHall.com
Kansas City Ballet
www.KCBallet.org
Kansas City Ballet’s Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon
http://ticketing.kcballet.org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=2904
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
www.KauffmanCenter.org
Christmas on the Farm
www.WatkinsMill.org/calendar.html#Christmas
America’s Center – St. Louis
www.ExploreStLouis.com/meetings-conventions/americas-center
Holiday Magic
www.StLHolidayMagic.com
Kristkindl Markt
www.StoneHillWinery.com/locations/hermann/events/event15.aspx
French Christmas in Ste. Genevieve
www.VisitSteGen.com/events/calendar.html
A Dickens Victorian Christmas
http://tiny.cc/oygv7
Glenn House
www.GlennHouse.org
Peabody Opera House
www.PeabodyOperaHouse.com
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas–The Musical
http://tiny.cc/sw65b
Christmas Candlelight Tours and Open Houses – New Madrid
www.new-madrid.mo.us/CurrentEvents.aspx?EID=1709
Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site
www.MoStateParks.com/park/hunter-dawson-state-historic-site
New Madrid Historical Museum
www.NewMadridMuseum.com
Higgerson School Historic Site
www.New-Madrid.Mo.us/index.aspx?nid=34
Hart-Stepp House
www.New-Madrid.mo.us/index.aspx?nid=147
Talkin’ Truman: Christmas at the White House
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
www.TrumanLibrary.org
French Christmas Open House at Felix Valle House State Historic Site
www.MoStateParks.com/event/58574/french-christmas-open-house
Missouri Botanical Garden – St. Louis
www.MoBot.org
First Night–Columbia
www.FirstNightColumbia.org
First Night–Saint Louis
www.GrandCenter.org/firstnight
Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District
www.GrandCenter.org
La Guiannée
www.VisitSteGen.com/events/calendar.html
First Night–Springfield
www.SpringfieldMo.org/event/2011/12/31/day
VisitMO.com
www.VisitMO.com
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Contact:
Sarah Luebbert
Missouri Division of Tourism
573-522-5501
Sarah.Luebbert@ded.mo.gov
@MoTravelMama
Stephanie Lynch
Missouri Tourism News Bureau
314-454-3454
slynch@hoffmanlewis.com
@NtheMO
