Holiday Homes Tour and Tea
Saturday, December 7, 2024
10:00 am until 4:00 pm
$25 Advance Sale; $30 at the door
This festive homes tour features a cross section of six beautiful historic homes in a variety of styles decorated for the holidays.
And also for your enjoyment that day…
Tea at the Historic Phelps House
Available by Reservation Only
$30 per person
With Victorian decorations all about, a truly sumptuous tea will be served at the 1895 Phelps House during the 2024 Christmas Homes Tour.
Tea Times: 11:00 am | 1:00 pm | 3:00 pm | 5:30 pm
For more information, please visit www.carthagehistoricpreservation.org or phone 417-358-9688.
*Tour is not wheelchair accessible. No Refunds/No Rain Date. Ticket required ages 6 and up.
Holiday Spirit. That's My M-O.
Winter Festivals and Events in Missouri Bring Holiday Cheer
This article was presented in partnership with Visit Missouri.
Hello, Mo here, inviting you to join communities across Missouri as they welcome the holidays. Arts and crafts booths with handmade goods are the perfect place to purchase gifts for someone special while delicious food and hot drinks will warm your hands and boost your spirits. Live entertainment and historical traditions will keep you coming back year after year for festive fun.
Southwest Missouri is a hub of activity during the holidays. An Old Time Christmas® at Silver Dollar City runs from Nov. 5-Dec. 30 and features Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade along with 6.5 million lights throughout the park. From Nov. 6-Dec. 31, you can visit Home for the Holidays at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale and embark on a holiday tram tour, glide across a skating rink and pay a visit to Santa himself.
Southwest Missouri is a hub of activity during the holidays. An Old Time Christmas® at Silver Dollar City runs from Nov. 5-Dec. 30 and features Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade along with 6.5 million lights throughout the park. From Nov. 6-Dec. 31, you can visit Home for the Holidays at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale and embark on a holiday tram tour, glide across a skating rink and pay a visit to Santa himself.
If you’re looking for a spooky holiday event, check out Krampusnacht in St. Joseph. You can learn the story of Krampus, watch a community parade and enjoy a Yuletide fire show. Don your favorite costume on Dec. 10 and dive into the darker side of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Charles Christmas Traditions® has been part of the community for nearly half a century. Historic Main Street transforms into the backdrop of a storybook Christmas filled with artists, carolers, and Santa figures from all over the world. The celebration runs from Nov. 25-Dec. 24.
These are just a few of the festivities you can discover throughout the Show-Me State this winter. Learn more at VisitMo.com and explore even more winter events in Missouri.
Annual Air Force Band’s Holiday Concert
Could there be an any better way to get into the holiday spirit than by listening to the US Air Force Band of Mid-America present its annual “Spirit of the Season” holiday concert on December 2nd? Free and open to the public.
The US Air Force Band will present its annual holiday concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center’s Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall, at 1 University Blvd., in St. Louis, Mo., on December 2nd at 7 pm. While the concert is free, tickets are required, and you can reserve yours here.
Santa Claus will be reading a new story at the concert this year, “Hababy’s Christmas Eve.” It’s based on a book by Jamie Farr, who played Klinger on the popular, classic MASH television series. Music to accompany the story was written by Master Sgt. Jeremy Martin, the band’s Staff Composer, and Arranger. The concert will play holiday favorites by groups ranging in size and genre from smaller quintets to the jazz band and the concert band. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand after the concert to meet and greet the little ones, or the big ones who still believe in the magic of Christmas!
All musicians are stationed at Scott AFB in Illinois, but we’re delighted they’re visiting Missouri.
Here’s a sample from a previous season’s concert.
Adeste Fideles to the Missouri State Capital this Holiday Season!
It’s the season of festive cheer, sparkling lights, gift giving and holiday parties. It’s time to gather your favorite people around to experience all the coziest moments of the most wonderful time of the year. Holiday season has arrived and here in JCMO, we are ready to celebrate.
This article is presented in partnership with Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Living Windows – December 2, 2022
The streets of downtown Jefferson City come alive for one of the community’s most treasured and beloved events. Stroll the streets as they fill with holiday cheer during an evening with carolers, artists, dancers, live reindeer, and, of course, Santa!
Candlelight Tours of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion – December 2 and 5, 2022
Experience the glow of the holidays as you tour the executive residence by candlelight. Adorned with sparkling lights and lush greenery, the Governor’s Mansion shines as guests wander the spacious living area Missouri’s governors have been entertaining in for 150 years.
Capitol Caroling – December 13, 2022
Adeste Fideles to the Missouri State Capitol for the annual Capitol Caroling. A unique time-honored tradition, gather with the community to share in holiday cheer during this jubilant performance of seasonal tunes in the gorgeous Missouri State Capitol Rotunda.
Capital City Festival of Lights/Holiday Lights Trolley Tours – December 3-31, 2022
What is a holiday season without the illumination of colorful lights and all your favorite festive tunes? Grab a thermos of hot chocolate, hop in the car, and enjoy this drive-thru display of lights that takes you through the woods of Binder Park. Have a group of holiday light fanatics? Book a trolley tour to take in the illumination of the Capital City Festival of Lights and all over JCMO!
Looking for even more holiday coziness in JCMO? Check out VisitJeffersonCity.com for more events and explore all that the capital city has to offer!
The Clydesdales at Christmas
Move over, Rudolph. Experience the magic of warm, glowing Christmas lights and the gentle giant Budweiser Clydesdale draft horses during a tour for a unique holiday experience. You can even reserve your own party stall.
Warm Springs Ranch at Boonville, Mo., may just offer the most unique holiday experience in the state. The regular Holiday with the Clydesdales tour is pretty special all by itself.
When you enter the ranch, you first see two 19-foot-tall illuminated Clydesdale statues. Twinkling lights adorn the lane to the 25,000-square-foot breeding facility, which is decorated and full of big draft horses.
You can walk through the decorated barn, enjoy a holiday wagon display, have lots of photo opportunities with the Clydesdales, and shop at a gift store, which has been expanded for the holidays. Food and Anheuser-Busch products are also available to buy.
But for an absolutely unique experience, you can reserve a private Winter WonderStall for 10 people for 3 ½ hours that will include the normal Holiday with the Clydesdales experiences, but in addition gives you a reserved area to gather, some one-on-one time with a Clydesdale, a buffet with either pulled pork or pizza and wings, Anheuser-Bush products, hot chocolate, apple cider, and VIP parking nearby. You could also order an ornament or a horseshoe memento for your guests, as well. Now that’s a holiday party—with horses!
Details:
The Holidays with Clydesdales are $20 per person, $10 for children 3-12, and free for children 2 and under. You must reserve a slot during one of two time periods Thursday through Sunday evenings, from November 25–December 30, at either 5:00-6:30 p.m. or 6:30-8 p.m. You can purchase tickets here.
You can also use that link to reserve your WonderStall for selected dates in November and December, beginning November 26. The cost is $1,000, or $100/head.
Where to See A Winter Wonderland Village?
This town welcomes you to go ice skating for only $5, see Santa and get free pictures, and visit a Winter Wonderland Village. You can also book your own private party at The Village. And there are unique boutiques around the square to shop for Christmas gifts, too.
Hometown Holidays takes place on the Carthage, Mo., Square and offers an ice rink, a Winter Wonderland, and Santa within the Village. After you work up an appetite skating, you can visit food trucks or try The Pie Safe or one of many other eateries around the square, too.
A light tunnel will lead you to The Village on the south side of the square. The light tunnel leads you to an 18-foot Christmas tree, a great selfie opportunity. The Village opens Fridays and Saturdays starting November 25th until December 24th from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm. It will also open Monday, December 5th for the Carthage Christmas Parade and Mayor’s tree lighting. For the first time in decades, this beautiful square will be outlined with lights. The Downtown Historic District will also have window paintings and other decorations, and there are some unique boutiques around the square, too, such as Carthage Olive Oil Company, Garde Manger, Carthage Hardware, and more. Carthage Hardware is special because it’s been a hardware store for more than 140 years, all of its existence in a historic building, and Garde Manger is a specialty grocer, offering all sorts of items, including essentials for charcuterie boards, pasta, sauces, soups, and dips.
The Downtown Historic District is a destination itself any time of the year, to see many examples of Italianate- and Romanesque Revival-style architecture. The Jasper County Courthouse at Carthage is one of the most impressive in the state. Two downtown parking lots will be turned into a Winter Wonderland. Activities will include a Gingerbread inflatable, an Mt. Everest inflatable slide, and curling. There will be several food trucks during the festivities, too.
Entrance to The Village is free, but special activities require a $5 wristband and $5 for ice skating for 45-minute time slots. You can reserve time slots online here. You can also buy tickets within The Village.
If you’d like to book a private party within The Village on Monday through Thursday evenings beginning, November 28th, call 417-674-3328 for schedule and pricing.
While you’re in Carthage, you might also want to visit Sparkle in the Park and the light display at Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix.
To learn more about Hometown Holidays, click here.
Christmas Market Craft & Vendor Show
Come for free to this market but buy the home-cooked breakfast, baked goods, or lunch! Hand-crafting vendors sell everything from wreaths and other holiday decor to wood crafts, toys, cards, clothing, quilted items, and more.
Let’s go shopping tomorrow, Saturday, November 12th, at the Knights of Columbus/Koerber Hall at Highway 63 N and 6th Street, at Vienna, Missouri. More than 50 mostly handcrafted and a handful of direct market vendors on site will be selling everything from adult clothing to baby items, hand-made greeting cards, art work, signs, children's clothing and toys, gourmet food items, hand-poured candles, jewelry, purses, quilts and sewing items, barn quilt signs, and much more.
There is room for only 52 booths in the hall, so they are selected carefully, says Lisa Jones, who promotes the show. For the first time this year, an Amish buggy with barn quilt signs will be there. Lisa says many women’s boutiques are appealing, including diverse jewelry booths, such as those featuring hand-crafted jewelry from silver, clay, leather, among others.
Lisa Jones, who makes greeting cards, will be there, and she says one vendor she’s looking forward to seeing is the lady who hand-pours candles. Her favorite might be the one named “My First Husband,” and Lisa says, ‘It smells like a wonderful man.” By the way, the candle-maker is still married to her first husband. Hand-sewn hair accessories and other items will also be available.
Handmade wooden crafts will include decor, signs, wooden bowls, charcuterie boards, and more. Kitchenware, jams and jellies, hand-made soaps and more are also available.
Call Lisa at (573) 690-3195 or email [email protected] for more info.
Celebrating 50 Years of Christmas Memories at Crown Center
Crown Center decks the halls for the season like no other, creating some of Kansas City’s favorite holiday traditions.
This article is presented in partnership with Crown Center
The fun starts in early November with the opening of the Crown Center Ice Terrace and continues with the lighting of the 100-foot-tall Mayor’s Christmas Tree on Crown Center Square the day after Thanksgiving. The festive decorations set the stage for a holiday season filled with live theater, shopping, dining, and more at Crown Center.
“When you visit Kansas City, Crown Center offers so many opportunities to experience the magic of the holidays, whether that’s ice skating, shopping for gifts, looking at the lights, or taking in a show,” said Stacey Paine, president of Crown Center. “We invite families to enjoy all Crown Center has to offer and make unforgettable holiday memories together.”
See Thousands of Lights and a 100-Foot-Tall Christmas Tree
Since 1973, Crown Center has hosted the Mayor’s Christmas Tree on Crown Center Square as a symbol of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which assists Kansas City residents in need during the holidays. The 100-foot-tall tree – always one of the tallest in the nation – is the centerpiece of holiday celebrations at Crown Center. For the 50th year of lighting the Mayor’s Christmas Tree, Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas and a celebrity guest will flip the switch to illuminate the tree and 30,000+ white lights on Friday, Nov. 25, followed by a festive fireworks display. The lights remain on display through Jan. 2.
Visit Santa Claus at Gingerbread Station
Santa Claus arrives at the Crown Center Shops in a horse-drawn carriage on Friday, Nov. 25, to greet his fans and take up residence in Santa’s Gingerbread Station, where kids and families can have their photo taken with him through Christmas Eve.
Lace Up for Outdoor Ice Skating
The Crown Center Ice Terrace, Kansas City’s original outdoor ice rink, celebrates its 50th season of ice skating fun. The Ice Terrace overlooks the Mayor’s Christmas Tree and other holiday decorations on Crown Center Square for a festive and active way to spend time together. The Ice Terrace offers daily skating times with skate rental onsite.
Commemorate the Trip with a Special Ornament
The 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Tree ornament, made each year from the wood of last year’s tree, is called “Celebrating 50 Years,” a nod to Crown Center’s 50th year of hosting and decorating the Mayor’s Christmas Tree. The proceeds from the sale of the ornament benefit the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which assists the people of Kansas City in need during the holidays.
The wooden ornament is designed by Hallmark artist Sheyda Best and made in Kansas City by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The laser-cut design features the Mayor’s Christmas Tree in green with some of Crown Center’s iconic holiday decorations in gold, silver, and white. It’s the perfect way to bring a little bit of Kansas City back to your home.
The 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament goes on sale Friday, Nov. 25, at Crown Center Customer Service for $16.95 plus tax. Limits apply. Ornaments also can be shipped, and orders may be placed by completing this order form.
Visit CrownCenterChristmas.com for a detailed listing of all Crown Center events and activities during the holiday season.
Carriage rides, cocoa and roasted chestnuts!—That’s what you get at this Dickens’ Christmas
This town transforms back to the 1840s, when Charles Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol, was published. Carolers will fill the streets, and you can ride a horse-drawn carriage through town before sampling some hot cocoa and chestnuts roasted on an open fire.
This article is presented in partnership with Warrensburg Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Warrensburg transforms back to the 1840s when Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was published on Saturday, December 3rd, from 10 am to 3 pm. A Dickens’ Christmas features Father Christmas at the historic train station, a horse-drawn carriage ride, hot cocoa and roasted chestnuts, carolers in period costumes filling the streets, and artisans and other makers filling the windows as the town travels back in time for some old-fashioned Christmas fun.
Local artists will demonstrate their traditional crafts such as glass-blowing, paper-making, crochet, woodworking, and more at local businesses, which will of course be full of holiday gift ideas.
A Tiny Tim Soup Stroll will sell a limited number of tickets for $10, and you can help determine this year’s Soup Champion. Tickets are available in advance through Warrensburg Main Street and a small number will be available the day of the event at Awesome Blossoms (212 N Holden St.) in Warrensburg,
Stop by the Winter Farmers’ Market where many seasonal vendors will have their crafts and winter veggies available for purchase by the Downtown Courthouse from 10am – 2pm.
Dickens' Christmas is a family-friendly holiday event, and the town invites visitors to get into the holiday spirit by coming in period clothing, as well. For more information about Dickens’ Christmas or other Downtown Warrensburg events, click here or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Christmas Events, Pop-Up Shops, Wine, and more in Kansas City
Soul of Santa holiday events - various locations - TheSoulofSanta.org
Using culture and the arts to support education, entrepreneurship, and personal development for disenfranchised and disabled communities is the mission of The Soul of Santa Foundation. On Dec. 4, the organization will host a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the historic 18th and Vine jazz district and a virtual holiday concert. Their curbside community breakfast and toy giveaway will take place Dec. 5 in the Full Employment Council parking lot.
Santa’s Bakeshop - 411 E. 135th Street, KCMO - “Santa’s Bakeshop by MCBC” on Facebook
Martin City Brewing Company is bringing a brand new holiday experience to Kansas City. The festive pop-up shop features sweet treats like chocolate dipped sugar cookies, peanut butter brownies, cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate, and ice cream. An animated light display set to music and blasts from a snow machine add to the winter wonderland atmosphere. Local vendors are on-site for those who want to do their holiday shopping. To keep visitors safe, a large covered, heated patio and outside tables offer socially distanced seating. Masks are required when not eating or drinking. Santa’s Bakeshop is open Thursday (closed on Thanksgiving) and Friday from 4-9 PM and Saturday and Sunday from noon-9 PM.
Winter Magic - 7332 Oakwood Rd., KCMO - WinterMagicKC.com
Through January 2, Oakwood Drive in Swope Park will transform into an enchanting world of holiday lights that can all be safely enjoyed from your car. The nearly one-mile Winter Magic drive-thru experience features nine themed areas, the longest light tunnel in the Midwest, spinning trees, and lights that dance to music. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, vendors sell snacks such as kettle corn, hot chocolate, and warm apple cider. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or by credit card at the gate. Proceeds benefit the KC Parks Summer Camp Scholarship Fund.
Geo’s Cheese - 221 E. Gregory Blvd., KCMO - GeosCheese.com
Since opening this past April, Geo’s has become a destination for unique artisan cheeses. The Waldo neighborhood shop boasts twenty different cheddars, alongside a selection of swiss, gouda, parmesan, goat, smoked, and flavored cheeses. Their product list also includes cheese curds and string cheese in addition to meat sticks, summer sausage, smoked salmon, flatbreads, preserves, mustards, salsa, olives, fruit butters, and more. Grab one of Geo’s vacuum sealed cheese boards for an expertly prepared snack.
Big Mood Natural Wines - 2020 Baltimore Ave., Suite 102, KCMO - BigMoodNaturalWines.com
The Crossroads Arts District welcomed Kansas City’s first exclusively natural wine shop in August. The wines at Big Mood are from small family farms that follow organic and/or biodynamic practices, which means no synthetic petrol-chemicals are used in the fields and there are no additives to correct for color, texture, flavor, acidity, or sweetness. The expansive inventory includes red, white, rose, orange and sparkling varieties in bottles, boxes and cans. You’ll also find spirits, whole bean coffee and cold brews in stock. Besides in-store shopping, Big Mood also offers online ordering, same-day delivery and contact-free curbside pick-up.
