Holiday
Valle Craft Fair
Stop by and do some Christmas shopping at the annual Valle Craft Fair at Valle school. Dozens of crafters are there with a variety of options so you can find something for that person on your list. Open 9a-4p on the first Saturday in December.
40 N. 4th St.
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
Holiday Christmas Festival
First full weekend in December in historic downtown Ste. Geneviève.
Admission: Free
Call us at 573-883-7097
The 39th annual Ste. Genevieve Holiday Christmas Festival will be Saturday, December 2nd and Sunday, December 3rd – but it’s much more than just your typical holiday weekend event. It boasts one of the finest Christmas celebrations in all of Missouri, but it’s also lauded as one of the top two Christmas celebrations in the entire Midwest according to AAA magazine. With a setting amidst historic houses, churches, art galleries, museums and a National Park this world-class event includes more than a dozen free performances by famed local and regional musicians, a magician, free crafts for children and adults, historical dancers, historical lectures, an Art Guild show, elegant receptions at various historic sites, a tree-trimming and a live nativity. Also back this year is Le Reveillon, a French Christmas celebrating food, customs and decorations of an early 1800’s Christmas Eve. According to Annette Rolfe, the Executive Director of the event, the weekend will cover more than 700 years of holiday-themed music from Renaissance to 21st Century jazz. Performances include a chamber choir, Madrigal singers, historical French singers, French café singers, a string quartet, a classical guitar, a lute, acoustic guitars, contemporary Latino jazz band, violins, traditional country, alternative country, pop, Celtic harpists, a steel drum band, a classical organist, and a magnificent wind ensemble. And the parade, which begins at 11 AM on Saturday, is one of the largest in the State, with beauty queens, classic cars, marching bands, the Shriners, floats – even Santa himself! “The event gets better every year as we strive to outdo the year before and this year’s lineup is the best yet” said Rolfe. “Everyone who attends will be delighted!” And, like prior years, there will also be FREE photos with Santa and FREE hotdogs for children 12 and under. Don’t miss the biggest holiday event of the season, in the charming town of Ste. Genevieve.
Freedom Celebration
Around 4th of July
Admission is FREE
Celebrate Ste. Geneviève’s Independence Day public gathering with music, speeches, and fireworks! At noon there is a traditional celebration with a church bell ringing, Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic speeches, and music, as well as an honor salute by various local organizations.
That evening the local Muny Band will perform patriotic music, and at dusk, Fireworks will explode in Ste. Geneviève’s Pere Marquette Park.
La Guiannée (La Guignolèe)
December 31, 2023
Founded by French merchants and fur traders, Ste. Geneviève remained a French-speaking enclave for many years in the newly Americanized Midwest. Sadly, the last generations of native French speakers are disappearing, but cherished traditions like La Guiannée still remain. This ancient tradition, analogous to the English custom of Wassailing that dates back to Europe’s Middle Ages, is celebrated by descendants of those French settlers.
You can watch and participate with these singers and musicians as they celebrate this 250-year-old tradition each New Year’s Eve in the streets, cafes, and pubs of Ste. Geneviève’s Historic District.
“Bonsoir le maître et la maîtresse, and everyone who lives here too. Now for the last day of the year, la guignolée vous nous devez.” So begins the song chanted almost every New Year’s Eve in Ste. Genevieve for well over 250 years! Ste. Genevieve’s La Guignolèe singing troupe will again run their circuit of the Ste. Genevieve historic district in their 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, watch them perform in the Valle gym at 7:00pm, or attend a La Guignolèe watch party sponsored by the Centre for French Colonial Life 6:30pm-8:30pm. Don’t miss this unusual display of French tradition!
Chocolate Walk 2023
February 4, 2023
Do you love eating chocolate and shopping? Then this event is for you! Join in the delicious fun on the first Saturday in February in historic downtown Ste. Geneviève. With the purchase of a ticket, you will be able to sample a yummy chocolate treat at each participating shop while you explore the unique items for sale! Only 300 tickets are available, and they always sell out in advance.
To purchase tickets go to: https://downtown-sainte-genevieve.square.site/ .
This event is sponsored by Downtown Ste. Geneviève.
Christmas Store and Collectibles
282 Market Street
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
Hours
Open Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Call us at 573-271-7004
Because the Christmas Store and Collectibles is open year-round, get your Christmas fix any weekend by dropping by to see what has been donated. Christmas decor and special items are available at great prices! Treasured collectibles are for sale too. Glassware, dishes, needlework, and more are waiting for you to add to your collection!
French Christmas – Felix Valle House
Merchant and 2nd Streets
Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670
Call 573-883-7102
This annual holiday celebration at the Felix Valle State Historic Site highlights the music, customs, and crafts of early French Colonial Christmas in Ste. Geneviève. The celebration, known as Le Reveillon, features costumed guides who explain the early 19th-century customs of Christmas. Traditional foods and music of the period are featured on the first Saturday in December.
Cookie Crumb Trail
Location: Historic Downtown Ste. Geneviève
800-373-7007
573-883-7097
Attention shoppers: Follow the Cookie Crumb Trail! Sample cookies and collect recipes to get started on your own Christmas baking! Participating downtown shops will feature a different cookie recipe and have sample cookies for you to taste.
Proceeds go to a local family in need. Just in time for Christmas!
Night Of The Werewolf (Oct)
The annual Night of the Werewolf, from 7 to 9 p.m., provides a rare opportunity for night activities on the campus of French Colonial America.
Loup Garou (werewolves) have been spotted throughout the village at night! Enjoy lantern led historic house tours, werewolf stories & folklore around the fire, s’mores & cider, children’s games, and patrol with the militia as they capture and dispatch werewolves
Call about ticket availability at 573-883-3105.