If you are looking to have fun around the holiday season but don’t know where to go, I picked out some of the best places around St. Louis to check out this year.
Main Street St. Charles
Main Street St. Charles is a historic walkable town with plenty of shops and restaurants everyone can enjoy. The brick roads and historic houses are all decorated for winter and the holiday season, which is a great place to go if you want to shop for presents, take your kids or just enjoy the holiday decorations. Along the strip, you will find 25+ restaurants and even more shops where you can find one-of-a-kind gifts for people close to you.
Among the many shops and cafes, three places really stood out to me. April’s on Main is a shop if you really want to get cute presents or any holiday decoration. The staff is very friendly and they have tons of different things to choose from. For a cafe, Mociia Point served really good cheesecake and the pina cola refresher was delicious. The atmosphere is very calm inside and the staff was polite. It’s a great place to study or just hang out with friends and family. My favorite place Main Street had to offer was a cat cafe called Cat Zen Cafe and Lounge. The cats at this cafe are so sweet and even adoptable. This cafe offers drinks and cat treats. It’s a purr-fect place for cat lovers and possibly a nice place to take anyone who loves cats. Overall, Main Street St. Charles is a perfect destination for those in the holiday spirit and even offers a Santa send-off event on Dec. 24, which is a great event to take young kids to.
Kimmswick
The historical town of Kimmswick is a very similar to Main Street St. Charles. Kimmswick dates back to the 1850s and has plenty of shops that are great for getting gifts. The town is walkable and a perfect place for the whole family. The shops are filled with unique and handcrafted items that are great to give to people close to you.
I enjoyed Mississippi Mud, which has great gifts for people who like handcrafted and recycled items. The staff is very kind and welcoming there as well. Another good place to shop is Ellyn’s Boutique. I found a really cute sweater to give my friend and they have great clothes to gift people. Two restaurants are also located in Kimmswick which offer delicious food. Blue Owl Bakery, which is right next to Mississippi Mud, is great for sweet breakfast food and is known for their desserts. Dough Depot is another wonderful option for lunch and dinner items and even offers lots of gluten free options. Both places are great to take your family and friends to for a holiday meal. On top of all of this, they have an Elf hunt that lasts until Dec. 22. It’s a perfect opportunity to have your kids or younger siblings have fun while you do your shopping.
Garden Glow
If you are a holiday lights person, this is the place for you. At Missouris Botanical Garden, you get to experience lights, food and a holiday flower train show. They have the whole garden decorated with lights and even have a light show in the middle synchronized to music. You can roast your own marshmallows by the fires they have set up, get snacks from a mini-donut truck and partake in drink and cookie stands scattered around the gardens. If you want to experience good holiday lights, I recommend the Garden Glow. The holiday flower and train show is a great place for kids to have fun finding all the hidden characters and buildings on display with the train show. The holiday flower and train show is nightly until Jan. 1.
The Loop
If you are looking for a more modern place to go for the holidays, the Delmar Loop in U-City is a great place to go. They have 53 places to eat, 26 shops and three venues which often hold concerts. The three venues include The Pageant, Delmar Hall and Blueberry Hill. The Loop is a great place to go shopping and grab food. They also hold a menorah lighting Dec. 25 and an ice carnival Jan. 25. The ice carnival includes live ice-carving demonstrations, astounding ice sculptures, impressive fire performers and festive stilt walkers. Also, you can join the playful scavenger hunt, roast marshmallows for s’mores and have your face painted.
Other Places to Visit
- Steinberg offers outdoor ice skating until March 1.
- The STL Symphony has a winter holiday show on Dec. 22 at Stifel.
- Kirkwood has a Christmas market every day until Dec. 23 from 9 a.m.- 9 p.m.
- Protagonist Cafe is a book cafe located on 9th Street downtown.
Saint Louis has lots of places to offer for everyone around the holidays. These are just a few great places to give a visit to enhance your holiday experience this year.
