Inside : Full List Of Locations To Find Santa in The Metro East
Holiday Event Calendar
A Sweet & Salty Holiday Treat Recipe
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Local Events
NOTE: Events are subject to change, cancel or be rescheduled due to Covid restrictions.
Live Music Every Weekend at The Cabin at Judy Creek, 3730 S. State Rte. 157, Glen Carbon. 12/3- Midlife Duo, 12/4Fedorable, 12/5- Lanny & Julie, 12/10- Double Wide Duo. Follow their Facebook page for more live music updates. WonderLight’s Christmas at Worldwide Technology Raceway, 700 Raceway Blvd, Madison. WonderLight’s Christmas is a drive through Christmas light show fully synchronized to music played through your car stereo! With millions of lights dancing in sync to crowd-favorite Christmas music, WonderLight’s Christmas might just become your family’s next favorite holiday tradition. Open nightly now thru January 9, 2022 - rain, shine, or snow. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.wonderlightschristmas.com/tickets. Movie Nights With Santa at Skyview Drive-In, Belleville. Sponsored by the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce. Attendees will get to see Santa as he drives through the lot to hand out candy to children before the movie begins. There will also be a limited number of spots each night to purchase a professional photo with Santa. Photos do need to be reserved at the time of your movie ticket purchase. Move Lineup- Dec. 4th: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Dec. 11th: Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas. For more info and tickets, go to bit.ly/3k6qYWB. Santa at the Station, Now -Dec. 22nd. The City of Edwardsville and the Parks & Recreation Department are excited that Santa will be getting a bigger and better place to greet is favorite believers. He will be located at the Nickel Plate Station in conjunction with the Edwardsville Children’s Museum in front of the Lewis and Clark N.O. Nelson Campus off Troy Road. Wednesdays 5:30-8pm. Saturdays 1-4pm.
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Local Events Christmas Igloo Experience, now until Jan. 9th, at EXO Lounge, 2 157 Center, Edwardsville. Book your exclusive experience in their heated igloo on their gorgeous EXO patio. Can accommodate up to 10 guests. Each reservation is 2 hours long. Email Taylor Ricky for more details at taylor@visitexo.com Mascoutah Lighted Christmas Parade, Dec. 3rd, 5:30-8:30pm, Main Street. Make sure to celebrate Christmas in Mascoutah with their Lighted Christmas Parade! 16th Annual Snowflake Festival, Dec. 3rd, 6-8:30pm, Glazebrook Park, 1401 Stamper Ln, Godfrey. Get your pictures taken with Santa in the gazebo, take a horse drawn carriage ride and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies courtesy of the Godfrey Parks and Rec. Dept. Donations for Toy for Tots will be accepted. Gingerbread 5K Run/Walk, Dec. 4th, 8am, 510 W. Main St, Belleville. Sponsored by the Belleville Parks & Recreation. For more info and registration, go to https://www.belleville.net/553/Current-Activities. Santa Fest, Dec. 4th, 10am-12pm, Maryville Fire Department, 300 N. Donk, Maryville. Visit and take a picture with Santa in front of the firetruck (bring your own camera). Cookies, punch, and make an ornament. Free event sponsored by Maryville Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary. Dashin’ Thru The Lights 5k Fun Run/Walk, Dec. 4th, 6pm, 2 Park Dr, Roxana, IL. Family friendly event. Wear your favorite holiday attire. Prizes and giveaways as well as cookies and hot chocolate after the event. Sign up at https://roxanapark.org/dashin-thru-the-lights/.
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Local Events Candy Cane Parade in Granite City, Dec. 4th, 2:30pm. The parade will begin from the Granite City High School parking lot and will end at City Hall. Don't miss the other holiday events taking place in Downtown Granite City as well: The Elf Walk, Art workshop, ugly sweater contest, music and more.
Edwardsville Winter Market, Dec. 4th, 9am-12pm, 118 Hillsboro Ave, Edwardsville. Edwardsville Winter Market features: Local Artisans, Baked Goods, Crafters, Locally Grown Items, Unique, Boutique Gifts and Products. All day, downtown businesses also host open houses as well as a sidewalk sales. Holiday Open House, Dec. 4th, 1-3pm, Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main Glen Carbon. Have a family photo taken by library staff in front of a winter scene, get a caricature done of your family, pet friendly therapy dogs, make some crafts and take home a sweet treat. Registration required bit.ly/3oaQtbO. Collinsville Light-Up Parade, Dec. 4th, 5:30pm. Enjoy the annual Light- Up Parade in Collinsville! The parade will begin at 5:30 PM on Main St. Activities will be available at the Collins house following the parade!
OLDE ALTON ART & CRAFT FAIR, Dec. 4th & 5th, Alton High School, 4200 Humbert Rd, Alton. Find all your Christmas goodies at the annual Olde Alton Arts & Crafts Fair featuring a variety of crafters from Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky. Looking For A Venue To Host A Private Event? EXO Lounge & Nail Bar is available for private events. We offer a fully licensed bar and seating for 100. For more info, go to https://visitexo.com/ or email: events@visitexo.com. www.metroeastmessenger.com
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Local Events Dinosaur Adventure St. Louis, Dec. 4 & 5th, Gateway Convention Center. Experience the thrill of the prehistoric age featuring life-sized dinosaurs and massive family fun! As part of the Dinosaur Adventure, children of all ages will enjoy a variety of activities: fossil crafting, Jurassic jeeps, themed obstacle courses, riding their favorite dinosaur, and more! For tickets, go to www.dinosauradventure.com/stlouis. Olde Alton Art & Craft Fair, Dec. 4th & 5th, 9am-3pm at Alton High School, 4200 Humbert Rd, Alton. Find all your Christmas goodies at the annual Olde Alton Arts & Crafts Fair featuring a variety of crafters from Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky. Breakfast and lunch will be served. All proceeds benefit the Alton Band and Orchestra. For more information, call (618) 474-6996. For more info, go to http://abob.net/craft-fair/. Granite City Senior Social “Christmas Bingo Party”, Dec. 5th at St. John UCC, 2901 Nameoki Rd, Granite City. Doors open at 12:30pm and games start at 1:30pm. Bingo, trivia, sing-along, 50/50 and refreshments. Bingo $1 admission. Four cards for $1. Seniors 50 plus and disabled are welcome to participate. Please RSVP (618) 444-6771. The North Pole Christmas Shoppe, Dec. 5th, 1pm at Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St, Edwardsville. Kiddos get to come in and shop without their parents so that they can pick out something as a surprise. Just bring them to the door, take one of our special envelopes and mark how much they can spend and who to buy for. Then one of our elves will help them around the store. All gifts will be wrapped in a special bag and sent home with the child to place under the tree for that special day. No need to register ahead of time. Event sponsored by Edwardsville Parks and Recreation.
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Local Events Highland Holiday Tractor Parade, Dec. 5th, 4:15-7:15pm. Parade promptly begins at 5pm, route to begin at Old Pylesville Rd, ending at Falling Branch Brewery. Hat and Glove donations for Mason-Dixon Community Services. Vendor tables at Falling Branch Brewery for Holiday shopping. Wreaths and Poinsettias for sale and a visit from Santa. Festival of Trees, Dec. 8th, 6-8pm, Gateway Convention Center. Join us at the 28th Anniversary of the Festival of Trees. The entire event space will transform into a holiday winter wonderland with beautifully decorated live trees, gorgeous wreaths, and unique home décor! Benefiting KAHOKstrong, whose sole purpose is helping people in the Collinsville Unit 10 School District during times of tragedy and need. For tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/festival-of-treestickets-163419260407. A Forever Vintage Christmas Market, Dec. 10-12 at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, 200 S Belt E, Belleville. Vendors from all around the country vending repurposed, industrial, vintage, architectural salvage, antiques, primitives, handmade, furniture, boutique & more! Live music-hand crafted cocktails-amazing eats. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Missy’s Frosty 5k & Merry Mile, Dec. 11th, 213 N. Prairie St, Bethalto. Holiday themed 5k and Merry Mile running event. All proceeds for this event will go to the Melissa Cafazza Memorial Scholarship Fund at Civic Memorial High School. The events will begin at 5pm near the City park and runners and walkers will enjoy the Holiday themed lights and decorations in and around the park. Register at bit.ly/3GP6Cuz. 2021 Ugly CHRISTmas Sweater 5K, Dec. 11th, 8am, 600 Water St, Edwardsville. Join us for a fun-filled day that will be sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! There is live music, hot cocoa & cookies, medals, and much more! Race benefits the Glen-Ed Food Pantry. To register, go to bit.ly/3CtvrsN. www.metroeastmessenger.com
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Now thru December 22nd Santa will be at the new Nickel Plate Station, 600 Troy Road, Edwardsville. Wednesdays: 5:30-8pm. Saturdays: 1-4pm.
December 4th Breakfast with Santa at KC Hall, 8am-1:30pm, 12454 IL 143, Highland. All you can eat buffet, free photo with Santa. Adults $12, Kids (6-12) $5. Tickets available at the door. Santa Fest at Maryville Fire Department, 10am-12pm, 300 N. Donk Ave, Maryville. Breakfast with Santa at the YMCA, 9-11am, 284 N Seven Hills Rd, O’Fallon. Some light breakfast items and a craft for the family to participate in. Free and open to the public. “A Night Of Christmas” at East Alton Village Hall, 4-8pm , 119 W. Main Street. Visit with Santa and his Elves at Santa’s Cottage. Déjà Vu Kidz, 205 W. Main St, Collinsville. 12-2pm. Please bring a new toy to donate to Children's Hospital. Santa Fest 2021, 11am-2pm, Friedens United Church of Christ's, 207 E. Center St, Troy. Free event, donations kindly accepted.
December 5th Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus at DKs Market, 11am-1pm, 225 W. State St, Hamel. Snowy Sweets Ice Cream Truck will be there. There will be a donation box for Cambridge House Senior Citizen Center. Santa's Mane Event at Equus Rescue, 12-3pm, 8743 Le Pere School Rd, Millstadt. Join Santa and his horses for an up-close-and-personal photo booth and enjoy treats, hot cocoa, and a kid's goodie bag. This event is INDOORS. Donations to the rescue accepted.
December 8th Santa and Ice Cream at Chicken Salad Chick, 5-7pm, 1128 Merchants Way, O’Fallon. Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Kids eat for $1.99 and receive ice cream!
December 9th Christmas Rox Party, 5-7:30pm, RoxArena, 2 Park Drive, Roxana. Christmas Sing Along Dance Party with Celia @ 6pm, cocoa, cookies and pictures with Santa. Be sure to walk through the lights in the park afterwards.
December 10th Twas the Night Before Christmas in the Village, 6-8pm, St. Jacob Fire Department. Dinner with Santa at Chick-fil-A, 4-8pm, Green Mount Commons, 2532 Mount Commons, Belleville.
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December 11th Breakfast with Santa at Chick-fil-A, 8-11am, Green Mount Commons, 2532 Mount Commons, Belleville. Visit with Santa at Cassens and Sons, 11am-2pm, 3333 S State Rt. 159, Glen Carbon. There will be warm cookies and free photos with Santa. 36th Annual Breakfast with Santa at the Wood River Round House, 8-10am, 633 Wood River Ave, Wood River. Breakfast with Santa at the Knights of Columbus Hall, , 8:30-10:30am, 1713 Stamper Lane, Godfrey. Must register in advance at the Godfrey Parks and Rec. Office, 6810 Godfrey Rd. Santa at the Maryville Heritage Museum, 10am -12pm, 128 E. Zupan St, Maryville. Photos with Santa at McGinley Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 11am-1pm, 7 Shamrock Blvd, Highland. Post 365 Children's Christmas Drive-thru with Santa, 10am-12pm, 1022 Vandalia St, Collinsville. Holiday fun from the comfort of your car. Every child present will receive a gift bag full of goodies, while supplies last. Santa at Miner’s Theatre, 12-3pm, 204 W. Main St, Collinsville. Photographer will be there, and you can take photos also. There is no charge.
December 17th Photos with Santa at First Community Bank, 4-6pm, 2120 S. State Rt. 157, Glen Carbon. Santa at Pete’s Market, (Dec. 17th-19th), 523 Troy Plaza, Troy. Decorate an ornament to be hung on the tree.
December 18th Breakfast with Santa at Edison’s Entertainment Complex, 9-11am, 2477 S. State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Reservations encouraged, call (618) 307-9020. Winter Market at Gateway Convention Center, 10am-4pm (Dec. 18th & 19th) 1 Gateway Dr, Collinsville. An Evening with Santa, 4-7pm at Vine Street Market, 105 S. Vine St, O’Fallon. $20 per child. Registration includes hot chocolate for your family, one ornament and one cookie per child and a 4×6 photo with Santa printed on site. To register, go to bit.ly/32OrPW5.
Santa Drive-By Santa's Trip Around Highland In A Fire Truck, Dec. 3rd, begins at 3pm. After he make his route around the neighborhoods, he will end at the City Square. Santa’s Coming to Maryville In a Firetruck, Dec. 5th, begins at 1pm. To see the route and times, go to the Maryville Fire Dept. Facebook page. Santa is Coming to Alhambra, Dec. 11th, beginning at 10:30. After seeing the neighborhoods, he will drive by the park.
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Local Events “Movie in the Park”, Dec. 11th, 4-6pm. Come watch Rise of the Guardians inside CarStar, 1 Mueller Dr, Maryville. Event sponsored by Maryville Parks & Recreation. Santa Paws is Coming to Town, Dec. 11th, 5-9pm, Roxana Park. This event will benefit Animal Warriors - Roxana; a nonprofit that helps animals (and their families) in need. Drive through the merry light displays, walk through the lights with Elsa, warm up inside the magical gingerbread house where Santa and Mrs. Claus are waiting to greet you! Enjoy our hot cocoa and coffee bar, indulge in chili and walking tacos, take your chances at 50/50 drawing, bid on silent auction baskets guaranteed to make excellent gifts! Register the kids to win some awesome prizes!! Donations welcome; all benefiting Animal Warriors – Roxana. Vine Street Winter Market, Dec. 11th 3:30-7:30pm, Vine Street Market at O’Fallon Station. Winter Market is back and bigger with 50+ vendors, live music from Isaac Biver and Edwin Linson, two food trucks and carriage rides! Expect a mix of farmers market vendors with meats, cheeses, coffee, bread and prepared foods as well as a much larger selection of artisans. Carriage rides will leave from the O'Fallon Station beginning at 4:30pm. In addition to the market, Mrs. Claus will be reading stories inside Avenue Realty, Polar Express will be read at the caboose downtown and the local OTHS Madrigals will be performing throughout downtown. Christmas Workshop, Dec. 11th & 12th, Gordon Moore Park, Muentermann Bldg. Sponsored by the Alton Parks & Recreation Department. Gun games, crafts, cookie decorating, hot cocoa, gingerbread playhouses, indoor snowman, lots of selfie spots. Register at bit.ly/3Hvpkbc. www.metroeastmessenger.com
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Local Events A Very Merry Family Adventure, Dec. 17th, Red Hill Church, Edwardsville. Enjoy a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt at your own leisure with video clues and a chance to win a $50 gift card. To register for this free event, go to bit.ly/3rwzJh8. A Very Merry Winter Wonderland Extravaganza with Special Guests Santa, Mrs. Claus, Olaf, & Kristoff, Dec. 18th, 11am4pm at the Leclaire Room, 600 Troy Rd, Edwardsville, IL. The celebration will include appearances from Santa, Mrs. Claus, Olaf, & Kristoff. Included in the ticket, each child will receive a professional digital photo with Santa & Mrs. Claus by professional photographer, Holly Glatt Photography, snacks including pretzel bar and cookies & milk, and a stocking to fill at each activity station. During the event, toy donations will be accepted for Edwardsville Neighbors. For tickets, go to bit.ly/3wekWrQ. An Evening with Santa, Dec. 18th, 4-7pm at Vine Street Market, 105 S. Vine St, O’Fallon. $20per child. Registration includes: hot chocolate for your family, one ornament and one cookie per child and a 4×6 photo with Santa printed on site. To register, go to bit.ly/32OrPW5.
Winter Market, Dec. 18th-19th, 11am-4pm at Gateway Convention Center. Winter Market is a holiday shopping experience for you and your family! Offering fashions and foods, glitter and gifts, music, and a little bit of magic! Admission and parking are free! Interested in participating as a vendor? Booths and small business tables are available. Contact Jeff Foster at jfoster@gatewaycenter.com or 618-345-8998.
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Local Events Magical Christmas Mommy & Me Tea Party, Dec. 19th, 10-11:30am at Exo Lounge, 2 157 Ctr, Edwardsville. Wear your Christmas outfits and join us at EXO Lounge for a magical holiday experience. Tickets include hot cocoa, tea or lemonade (mimosa or champagne for mom), finger foods and desserts. All guests are encouraged to bring a new and unwrapped toy to be donated to Edwardsville Neighbors local toy drive. For tickets, go to bit.ly/3DhflTx. Collinsville Community SnowFest '22, Jan. 15th, 8-11:30am, 1498 Vandalia St, Collinsville, IL. 8:00-8:30am-Community Breakfast. Starting @ 8:30- Cardboard Sled Race. Put together a one-of-a-kind sled with a team of friends, family, or coworkers. Entry is $10.00 per sled with all proceeds going to Collinsville Parks. We will limit the number of entries per division so that everyone will get at least two runs. Awards ceremony from 11-11:30a.m. immediately after the last sled runs. Don't worry! We are providing the hill and all the snow! For rules and registration, go to bit.ly/3nUsuML. There will also be three virtual reality stations, a timed jigsaw puzzle competition, dog dash, snowball fling and paper snowflake contest. 28th Annual Let's Go Fishing Show, Jan. 7th- 9th at the Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Dr, Collinsville. Visitors to the show not only find a "fishing tackle super-store" but attend seminars and see exhibits of interest. Show attendees will find a wide variety of fishing tackle, rods and reels, aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats, and more. Tickets: $7 per day, $3.50 for ages 6-15 per day. Gateway Wedding Show, Jan. 20th, 5-9pm at the Gateway Convention Center. For the couple that just got engaged, or the event planner starting off his/her career, the show will feature everything you need. For those who are just looking for fresh ideas and inspiration, there will be plenty of new ideas on display. Free event, register at https://gwsjan2022.eventbrite.com. 100+ vendors, samplings, live fashion show, give aways and more. www.metroeastmessenger.com
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A Sweet & Salty Holiday Tradition In this issue, I’m sharing a fun tradition that my family does every year at Christmas time. There are many names and variations for this treat. I’ve heard it called “White Christmas Trash”, but that didn’t sit well with me (who wants to eat something called “trash”?), so I shortened the name to “White Christmas.” As a mom of boys, I realized my dreams of baking and decorating beautiful Christmas cookies was probably not going to happen. When they became teenagers, I realized they like to eat snacks more than cookies. So instead of cookies, we have fun making this quick, no bake, Chex mix treat that comes together quickly around our kitchen island in 10 mins. They enjoy making this we me every year and they love to eat it while we decorate our Christmas tree. One of the best parts about this salty, sweet snack recipe is that you can customize it anyway you want, and it will still be delicious. It also make a great gift! Go to chex.com/recipes to see more variations.
White Christmas Ingredients: 1 box of rice Chex cereal 1 box of plain Cheerio cereal 1 small bag of pretzel rods, broken into smaller pieces 1 container of dry roasted peanuts 1 small bag of red and green M&M’s 2 24oz bricks of almond bark
Instructions: Mix the rice Chex, Cheerios, broken pretzels, dry roasted peanuts and M&Ms into two very large bowls. Make sure the ingredients are mixed up well. Break up one of the bricks of almond bark in a microwave safe bowl. Warm in the microwave 30-60 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it is completely melted. (This can also be done on the stove.) Drizzle the almond bark over one of the bowls, stirring continuously. (Having another person stir while you drizzle helps a lot.) Keep stirring until the contents are covered and the almond bark has cooled. Repeat the melting, drizzling and stirring process with the second bowl. Store in Christmas tins, containers and/or Ziplock bags.
Note: This makes a LOT of White Christmas so be prepared to have storage containers ready. We usually give some of it away in Christmas tins to friends and family. If you would like less, just simply cut the recipe in half. Pro Tip: Buy all the ingredients at Aldi and save yourself some money!
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