This article is presented in partnership with Ste. Genevieve Tourism.
Celebrate the holiday season in Ste. Genevieve this year. One hour south of St. Louis, the holiday spirit comes a little early during the annual Shop Small Saturday celebration in downtown Ste. Genevieve on November 30. Celebrate Small Business Saturday downtown in Missouri’s oldest town. Several shops and restaurants offer special discounts, as well as free promotional items and canvas shopping totes for customers to thank them for “Shopping Small!” and supporting local small businesses. Shop Small Saturday is a nationwide event founded by American Express.
On December 7-8, the 35th annual Holiday Christmas Festival features a cultural celebration of 500 years of holiday-themed music performed by renowned musicians from across the region at free performances in historic churches and other downtown venues. Activities also include a Christmas parade, caroling, colonial decorations, free pictures with Santa for the little ones, the Art Guild Art Show & Sale, downtown shop refreshments, some historic site open houses and an old-fashioned Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Saturday evening at the Welcome Center.
The Felix Valle State Historic Site hosts Le Reveillon on Saturday, December 7 showcasing French colonial period Christmas customs, decorations, music and food. This annual holiday celebration highlights the music, customs and crafts of an early French Colonial Christmas in Ste. Genevieve. The celebration will feature costumed guides that will explain the early 19th century Christmas customs.The event will also feature traditional foods of the period along with refreshments and traditional music.
On December 31, the Ste. Genevieve La Guignolee singing troupe will run a circuit of the Ste. Genevieve historic district in a centuries-old New Year’s tradition. Dressed in bizarre and somewhat archaic costumes, the revelers wander from place to place on New Year’s Eve, singing a beggars’ song for favors. Make a dinner reservation at a restaurant to see the troupe as they make their rounds.
For reservations and a list of local hotels and bed & breakfast inns, visit VisitSteGen.com.
