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.
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