Illinois
Christmas Barn Sale Trail
November 7–9 Take a road trip through southern Illinois near Metropolis and Brookport to visit about 10 barns transformed into marketplaces. Peruse a host of items for sale, including antiques, furniture, vintage Christmas decorations, handmade crafts, home decor, jewelry, and artworks. The barns, adorned with holiday decorations, are all within 7 miles of each other. Entry, $15 on Thursday and free on Friday and Saturday. Massac County.
Art & Wine Walk
November 9 Raise a glass to art during this event in downtown Belleville. Sample vintages, peruse local artworks, and enjoy music as you stroll through shops from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Make sure to designate a driver if you plan to drink. Tickets (includes commemorative glass), $35 in advance and $40 at the event. Belleville.
Lewis and Clark Arrival Weekend
FREE! December 14–15 Celebrate the day in 1803 when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and set up Camp River Dubois during their cross-country expedition. Learn how soldiers in the Corps of Discovery lived during their winter encampment as reenactors bring the era to life. Enjoy exhibits of vintage tools, firearms, and 18th-century medicine. Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Hartford.
Gnome Roam
FREE! December 1–January 31 While enjoying lovely landscapes on hikes at Giant City State Park this winter, keep your eye out for gnomes. Each the park’s seven trails (excluding the Red Cedar Backpacking Trail) will have a whimsical gnome sculpture just waiting to be discovered. Record all seven by taking a photo of you and the gnome, or by making a list of the items they are holding. Make sure to note the date and the trail on which you found each gnome because locations will be changing. Then bring your proof to the state park visitors center (open daily 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m.) to receive a free Gnome Roam patch. Makanda.
Alton Eagle Ice Festival
FREE! January 4 Celebrate the return of wintering American Bald Eagles to southwest Illinois during this annual event. Meet one of these majestic birds of prey up close at Flock Food Truck Park, where there will be food trucks, ice carvers, and live music. Eagle-watching shuttle tours ($15 per person) depart from the Alton Visitors Center. Other family-friendly activities will take place at the nearby National Great Rivers Museum and Audubon Center at Riverlands. Alton.
Ice Jam at the Dam
FREE! February 15 Embrace winter at this annual festival at the National Great Rivers Museum that promotes outdoor recreation. Peer into telescopes to watch wintering bald eagles and tour the adjoining Melvin Price Locks & Dam for views 80 feet above the Mississippi River. Enjoy live music, a Winter on the River photography contest, educational booths, craft making, and outdoor firepits. Festivities take place 10 a.m.–2 p.m. East Alton.
American Indian & Ethnographic Show
FREE! March 15–16 Learn about Native cultures at this annual show that draws vendors and visitors from across the country. You can admire and purchase authentic artifacts and handiworks, such as Navajo rugs, arrowheads, baskets, and works of art. Show hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday. Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville.
Indiana
Ferdinand Christkindlmarkt
FREE! November 15–17 Always held over the third weekend in November, this annual holiday tradition begins on Friday evening with an outdoor performance of songs and a bell choir at the Monastery Immaculate Conception. On Saturday and Sunday, six market sites brim with more than 200 booths selling home decor, apparel, crafts, antiques, baked goods, and gift items. Other activities include monastery tours, a marionette show, and a free concert by the Evansville Philharmonic Ensemble. Ferdinand.
Jasper O’Tannenbaum Days
December 6–8 Embrace the holiday spirit at this annual celebration that includes carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus, carolers, and holiday bazaars. Enjoy children’s activities at the Dubois County Museum and a live performance at the Actors Community Theatre. Some activities charge a fee. Jasper.
A Salute to the Rat Pack & Friends
January 3–4 When this show begins, you’ll feel as if a time machine has transported you to the Las Vegas Sands Hotel in 1960. Tap your toes and snap your fingers to favorite songs made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Enjoy a buffet dinner before the show. Evening performance tickets start at $43, and matinee tickets start at $39. Derby Dinner Playhouse, Clarksville.
Schocolade Celebration
FREE! February 8–15 Lanthier Winery serves up chocolate treats of all types and tastes to herald Valentine’s Day. Surprise your sweetheart or gather with friends to sample complimentary gourmet chocolates and enjoy a free wine tasting. Reservations for this adults-only event are required on Saturdays. Madison.
The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
March 10 More than a dozen classical musicians wearing skeletal masks will transform well-known songs by Nirvana, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, and more into dark rhapsodies. You’ll be enchanted by the ethereal melodies that wash over you in the moody candlelit concert hall. Tickets start at $39. Aiken Theatre, Evansville.
Kansas
Holiday Open House
FREE! November 2 Jump-start your holiday shopping in downtown Leavenworth during this event. Highlights include music, carriage rides, and special activities. The first 200 shoppers who line up at the Leavenworth Main Street office (416 Cherokee Street) will receive a map, starting at 9:30 a.m., to collect ornaments (one per family) at participating stores. Leavenworth.
Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade
FREE! December 7 The holidays will glow during this annual parade that steps off at 6 p.m. Twinkling lights will adorn upwards of 200 floats that are accompanied by marching bands, dance teams, and car clubs. In its 29th year, the parade also features the arrival of Santa Claus. Conclude your night by strolling downtown to enjoy the Window Decorating Contest. Topeka.
Pinners Conference & Expo
January 31–February 1 If you like Pinterest, this event is for you. An expo will feature about 200 vendors that specialize in the worlds of DIY, crafts, cooking, scrapbooking, and more. You can also choose from more than 100 Pinterest-based classes, like how to create a quilted pot holder or how to make perfect bread dough. In advance, tickets are $12 for one day or $16 for both. One-day admission plus two classes is $22; additional class packages are available. Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park.
Kevin Willmott Film Festival
February 18–21 This festival honors Oscar-winning screenwriter Kevin Willmott, who is a professor emeritus of the University of Kansas Film & Media Studies program. Willmott has directed more than a dozen films, four of which will be presented during the festival, including the critically acclaimed C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. Guest speakers will add insight after each screening. Ticket prices will be released closer to the festival. Liberty Hall, Lawrence.
Topeka St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irishfest
FREE! March 15 On the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, grab your greenest attire to watch more than 150 parade entries that include Irish-themed floats. The parade steps off at noon; enjoy Celtic music, dancing, and food during the rest of the day in the downtown area. Topeka.
Missouri
Holiday Fare Wine Trail
November 16–17 Six Hermann-area wineries mark the end of the harvest season with this food-and-wine-pairing event. For example, sample butternut squash and sweet potato soup paired with Traminette wine at Hermanhoff Winery. Participants must be at least 21. Tickets (includes a souvenir wine glass), $35. Make sure to designate a driver. Hermann.
Candlelight Tour of Fort Osage
December 14 See what winter life was like for pioneers living at the fort during this evening event from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Authentically attired living historians will conduct tours every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. Enjoy holiday-themed activities in the education center. Tickets, $15 (reservations recommended because tickets are limited). Fort Osage National Historic Landmark, Sibley.
Soulard Mardi Gras
January 6–March 4 The Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis throws one of the best Mardi Gras blasts north of New Orleans. Events include a Cajun cook-off, a wiener dog derby, the Taste of Soulard food and pub crawl, the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball, a pet parade, and the grand parade. Some events charge fees. St. Louis.
Once Upon a Valentine
FREE! February 8–9 Whether you adore Valentine’s Day or despise it, this is the festival for you. Spin the “Wheel-O-Sonnets” to hear some of Shakespeare’s beloved words of affection and shoot at heart-shaped targets in Cupid’s Archery Challenge. Commiserate with Henry VIII’s six wives about their marital woes and smash a heart-shaped, candy-filled piñata. Roaming musical groups will perform love ballads and breakup anthems. You can even renew your vows in a large-scale ceremony. Historic Main Street, St. Charles.
Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade
FREE! March 17 Begun inauspiciously in 1974 when a group of secretaries, businesspeople, and shoppers followed a route that stretched a mere 1½ blocks, the parade today is now one of the country’s largest. Hundreds of thousands of spectators line Broadway Boulevard downtown to see scores of floats, Irish dancers, bagpipe players, motorcycle clubs, and marching bands. The parade begins at 11 a.m. and usually ends around 1:30 p.m. Kansas City.
FREE! indicates free admission to the event, but additional fees may be required. Be sure to designate a driver if you plan to drink alcohol.
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