Discover all of the fun things to do this winter in St. Charles. There are plenty of fun indoor and outdoor activities and festivals during the winter in St. Charles. See for yourself why St. Charles is the best Christmas town in Missouri with the 50th anniversary of Saint Charles Christmas Traditions® and why you should visit during the other winter months, too. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for updates on upcoming events and activities, and request a free visitor's magazine for more details on planning your winter getaway to St. Charles.
1. Experience the perfect Christmas and attend the 50th anniversary of Saint Charles Christmas Traditions® along historic Main Street. Taste roasted chestnuts, fresh off an open fire, meet a bevy of international gift givers and other classic holiday characters, listen to Christmas melodies sung by carolers, and more in this world of yuletide nostalgia and fantasy.
2. Shop for handmade Christmas gifts at the Merry Makers Market. On December 6 and 7, regional makers, designers, and artists come to the Foundry Art Centre and sell their handmade goods at this festive market.
3. Cozy up at a local coffee shop with a hot coffee. Try a seasonal special like a peppermint mocha or your go-to favorite. Get started with our coffee shop blog for a list of coffee houses in St. Charles.
4. Explore your creative side and take an art class at the Foundry Art Centre. From painting workshops to jewelry making classes, clay classes, and more, it’s the perfect place to work on your skills.
5. Get your photo taken with Victorian Santa at the KATY Depot during Saint Charles Christmas Traditions®. Meet with Santa and explore his special workshop outpost that features a glimpse of his busy mailroom and the Reindeer Hall of Fame.
6. Pick up some freshly baked cookies from Grandma’s Cookies. Flavors include chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, sugar sprinkle, and more. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for the dreaded winter blues.
7. Carry a candle in the re-enactment of the Spanish tradition, Las Posadas, on Main Street. Mary and Joseph seek shelter at local businesses before ending at a live nativity scene on the riverfront where people come together to sing Christmas carols – on the first Saturday in December.
8. Meet characters like Jack Frost, the Sugarplum Fairy, the Fezziwigs, and more at Christmas Traditions®. Collect their trading cards for a full deck.
9. Grab a cup of wassail from the 8 Maids Wassail Tavern during Christmas Traditions®. Located at Berthold Square, this tavern also serves as a mini-museum of holiday artifacts including a pear from the partridge’s infamous pear tree.
10. Get your Christmas shopping done and support local small businesses when you shop on Historic Main Street. With over 100 one-of-a-kind shops lining the street, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. Get started with our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.
11. Check out the exhibit, “Where Christmas Past Comes to Life”, at the Tourism Center during Christmas Traditions®. Find costumes from past Christmas Traditions® festivals, watch a behind-the-scenes documentary on how the festival is created, and see a display of every trading card ever produced.
12. Take the kids to Wild Sprouts for some fun indoor play time in their cozy reading nook and imaginative play zones. The best part is that you don’t have to clean up the mess!
13. Try indoor rock climbing at Climb so iLL. Reach new heights with a day pass to the Steel Shop in Frenchtown.
14. Visit Cardinal Sin Distillery on Main Street and do a tasting of their award-winning spirits. They offer vodkas, four traditional whiskies, and three flavored whiskies. Don’t forget to try their seasonal cocktail!
15. Step into a Norman Rockwell Christmas painting at the Augusta Candlelight Christmas Walk in Historic Missouri Wine Country. Over 1,000 luminaries light up the town where visitors can meet Santa, ride in a horse-drawn carriage, shop at the Christmas market, indulge in local wine and beer, and warm up by the bonfire.
16. Plan the perfect local date night right here in St. Charles. Make a candle at The Candle Fusion, get dinner on charming Historic Main Street, or play games at the Rec Hall. Find more date night ideas in our Top 10 Date Nights in St. Charles blog.
17. Elevate your holiday season and attend a ticketed Christmas Traditions® event at the Foundry Art Centre. From trying different traditional international foods at Holidays Around the World: An International Dessert Tasting Experience, to experiencing the tale of two Christmases at Naughty vs. Nice Night, and dancing the night away at Live from Freezer’s Palace: A Cool Cabrrrret with Jack Frost and Friends. Want to attend all of them? Take advantage and save money with a season pass.
18. Start the day on the right foot and go out for breakfast in St. Charles. Our breakfast blog will help you pick the best place to start your day.
19. Warm up with a soup flight at Bike Stop Cafe. Choose three of their homemade soups to go with three slices of fresh-baked sourdough.
20. Learn all about soda history at The Soda Museum on Main Street. See nostalgic soda memorabilia from as far back as the 1880s in this impressive collection. As a bonus, visit Main Street Arcade downstairs to play vintage arcade games. One fee for unlimited play.
21. Enjoy a night on the town with dancing and live country music at Main Street Honky Tonk.
22. Watch ice sculptors use chainsaws, chisels, and grinders to turn a block of ice into a shiny masterpiece at Fête de Glacé. Dragons, swans, and horses have been carved in the past, what will you see this year?
