St. Louis

Those of us who can't stay awake until midnight can join the Missouri History Museum for a New Year's Eve countdown with two balloon drops! Visitors will enjoy live music, making crafts a super-sized story time followed by balloon drops at 11 a.m. and noon.

Enjoy a day of culture, performance, and tradition during one of the region’s biggest Kwanzaa celebrations. Celebrated at the Saint Louis Art Museum for more than 25 years, the free annual Kwanzaa Celebration is presented in partnership with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter.

Winterfest 2025 will host special guests on Sundays. Some of your kids' favorite characters will appear for free meet & greets and photo opportunities at Kiener Plaza's annual winter festival. 

Get ready for some quacky fun at Duck Duck Chess! Kids can decorate their own rubber ducky to use in a game of Duck Chess, a delightful and approachable variant of chess. All supplies are included for this activity in the Play Space at the World Chess Hall of Fame. No chess experience is needed to join in. 

Visit City Museum for a New Year's Eve Party for the whole family! Enjoy dancing, crafts, and more, and sing your heart out doing karaoke to your favorite holiday tunes. To celebrate the new year, visitors can pop the balloons from the balloon drop at 8 p.m. to ring in the new year.

Take memorable photos with Santa at The Missouri Botanical Garden's Garden Glow light display. During these special evenings, you and your family can take photos with Santa at Christmas-card worthy photo spots amid the sparkling wonderland of Garden Glow.

Experience the original animated classic roaring from the big screen, as your SLSO performs Hans Zimmer’s Oscar-winning score live. The Lion King follows the powerful story of Simba as he journeys from a wide-eyed cub to his destined role as King of the Pride Lands. Featuring unforgettable music by Elton John, lyricist Tim Rice, and composer Hans Zimmer—plus African vocal and choir arrangements by South African producer and composer Lebo M—celebrate the magic of this joyful tale with the whole family.