Public Safety Director's Spotlight - 2016 Holiday Events Edition

The holiday season is a special time in St. Louis. Local venues and attractions are offering fun, festive and family-oriented activities to make this holiday season a magical and memorable one. Invite your family and friends to join you at one of the following events:

Now through Dec. 30 -- 2016 Holidays at St. Louis Union Station. Train rides, spectacular decor, North Pole Village activities, ice skating, and the new Fire &Light show provide something for the entire family. More information may be found at stlouisunionstation.com. 

Now through Dec. 30 - U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo in fabulous Forest Park. For tickets and more details, visit stlzoo.org.

Now through Jan. 1, 2017 - Anheuser-Busch Brewery Lights, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 5 - 10 p.m. at 1200 Lynch Street. To learn more, visit brewerylights.com/st-louis.html. 

Now through Jan. 1, 2017 - Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard. Open nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For admission information, visit missouribotanicalgarden.org.

Now through Jan. 1, 2017 - Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard. The show runs from 9 am. to 4 p.m. daily. Questions? Call (314) 577-5100.

Now through Feb. 23, 2017 - Ice Skating at Steinberg Rink in Forest Park. Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Visit steinbergskatingrink.com to learn more. 

Dec. 3 - Wintermarkt, an outdoor crafts sale in the spirit of the holiday season. From 11 am. To 4 p.m. in Greg Freeman Park, 6000 Kingsbury AVenue at Des Peres Avenue. Go to skinkerdebaliviere.wordpress.com for more details.

Dec. 3 - Grinchmas. The Grinch will pay a visit to Ritz Park, 3147 S. Grand, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit southgrand.org for more information.

Dec. 3 & 4 - 41st Annual Soulard Holiday Parlour Tour, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Tickets are $25 per person. Visit soulard.org for more information.

Dec. 3 & 4 - 33rd Annual Cookie Spree on Cherokee Antique Row, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The entire street will be buzzing with local musicians and carollers, photo-op stops, trolley rides, and more! Visit cherokeeantiquerow.com/events for more details.

Dec. 3, 10, & 17 - Window Walk in the Central West End. Live music, children's activities and more. Visit cwescene.com for a complete list of activities each day.

Dec. 4, 11 & 18 - Winter Break at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Fun for the entire family from Noon to 4 pm.. To learn more about the planned activities, visit slam.org. 

Dec. 5 - Free Community Concert by the STL Symphony, 7 p.m. at James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park. To learn more, visit stlsymphony.org.

Dec. 6 - Chanukah: Festival of Lights at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard from Noon to 4 p.m. Admission included with Garden admission. Visit missouribotanicalgarden.org to learn more.

Dec. 7, 14, & 21 - Free Holiday Concerts at the Old Courthouse, Noon - 1 p.m. Visit nps.gov for all the details.

Dec. 9, 10 & 11 - Winter Festival at the Saint Louis Art Museum. For more information about this three-day winter extravaganza celebrating cultures from around the world, go to slam.org.

Dec. 10 - Dutchtown Shop Hop, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shop Dutchtown for the holiday all day during regular business hours and enjoy photo-ops, carolers, holiday treats, and more! More information may be found at dt2stl.org.

Dec. 11 - Christmas Concert presented by the Carondelet Community Betterment Federation. 3 p.m. at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan Avenue. Enjoy the musical stylings of Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and many contemporary artists as performed by the St. Louis Big Band. Donation: $15 per person. Call (314) 752-6339 for more information.

Dec. 11 - Hot Chocolate Run. The race will start at 7:30 a.m. from Market &15th in beautiful Downtown St. Louis. Learn more at hotchocolate15k.com/stlouis.

Dec. 11 - Lafayette Square Holiday Parlor Tour, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour day tickets $25.00 Visit lafayettesquare.org for more details.

Dec. 13 - Free Community Concert by the STL Symphony, 7 p.m. at Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park. To learn more, visit stlsymphony.org.

Dec. 27 through January 8 - Winterfest at the Arch, a two-week long event hosted by the St. Louis Blues and the CityArchRiver Foundation. Activities include an Opening Celebration, Winter Whiskey Warm Up, Family Friendly New Year's Eve Event, New Year's Day Skate &Street Hockey Tournament and public skating daily from 11 a.m .to 8 p.m. at the temporary synthetic ice rink installed on Luther Ely Smith Square, located between the Arch and the Old Courthouse. For all the details visit archwinterfest.com. 

Dec. 31, 2016 - BMO Private Bank New Year's Eve Celebration at Powell Symphony Hall, 7:30 p.m. Ring in the New Year with Music Director David Robertson and the STL Symphony for the annual New Year's Eve performance. For tickets, visit stlsymphony.org. 

Jan. 1, 2017 - Annual Kwanzaa Celebration at the Saint Louis Art Museum. From Noon to 4 p.m . enjoy an afternoon of culture, performance, and tradition. More details may be found at slam.org.

Best wishes for a happy holiday!

Col. Richard Gray

Director of Public Safety

grayr@stlouis-mo.gov