Tag: Fun

Moonlight Madness – Christmas in July Shopping Extravaganza Who says you have to wait until December to embrace the spirit of the holidays? On the second Wednesday in July, downtown Ste. Genevieve transforms into a midsummer Christmas celebration during Moonlight Madness—a delightful shopping event that combines holiday cheer with summer evening magic. Christmas in July: The Best of Both Seasons There’s something wonderfully whimsical about celebrating Christmas in the heart of summer. Picture this: warm July evening breezes, historic streets lit by shop windows, the relaxed pace of summer vacation—all infused with the festive spirit of the holiday season. It’s the perfect antidote to midsummer routine and a chance to get a head start on holiday shopping without the stress and crowds of December. Moonlight Madness captures the joy of Christmas shopping while leaving behind the cold, the pressure, and the last-minute panic. You can browse leisurely, chat with shop owners, enjoy the evening air, and make thoughtful purchasing decisions without fighting winter weather or holiday traffic. An Evening of Special Shopping From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., participating shops throughout Ste. Genevieve’s Historic District extend their hours and roll out special discounts exclusively for Moonlight Madness shoppers. This isn’t Read more…

Oberle Meats – Six Generations, 150+ Years, and the Same Secret Recipe Since the 1870s At 21529 Highway 32 in Ste. Genevieve, Oberle Meats represents something increasingly rare in American commerce: a six-generation family business using the exact same German bologna recipe since founder Joseph Oberle opened his Main Street meat market in the 1870s. Today, Bill Oberle and his sixth-generation sons Stephen and Adam operate what locals simply call “home of the Oberle Dog”—producing world-famous Oberle Sausage, smoked pork tenderloin, garlic cheese, snack sticks, jerky, smoked ribs, Krakow, and homemade wieners using “many of the techniques handed down by their ancestors” while embracing modern efficiency. Open Monday-Friday 7 AM-4 PM (Friday until 5:30 PM), this USDA-inspected specialty meat market serves walk-in customers, processes thousands of pounds of deer during hunting season, ships nationwide via online orders, and delivers to Dierbergs, Schnucks, and stores throughout Southeast Missouri. The result: “fresh, lean, bright red, awesome tasting meat” and a sausage so beloved that expatriate Missourians visiting from Idaho “have to visit here,” Festus residents stock up “every two weeks,” and southern cooks rejoiced when Oberle’s garlic cheese log replaced Kraft’s discontinued version in decades-old recipes. Phone (573) 883-5656 or order online Read more…

Rosie’s Posies Located at 121 South 6th Street in downtown Ste. Genevieve, Rosie’s Posies delivers what local florists do best—turning occasions into memorable experiences through thoughtful flowers and gift items. Whether you’re celebrating family parties, marking anniversaries, honoring baptisms, or observing holidays, Rosie’s Posies understands that flowers communicate what words sometimes cannot. Operating Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and by appointment Sunday, this downtown flower shop serves both planned celebrations and last-minute moments requiring floral grace. The combination of beautiful arrangements, thoughtfully curated gift items, and personal attention to what occasions mean creates experience distinguishing local florists from mass-market alternatives and delivery services. Whether you’re local preparing for celebration or visitor seeking meaningful gift reflecting Ste. Genevieve hospitality, Rosie’s Posies delivers flowers and gifts understanding that occasions deserve more than convenience—they deserve care. Local Florist: Understanding What Occasions Mean Rosie’s Posies operates as local florist where owner and staff know community, understand specific celebrations, and make personal investment in what flowers represent for different moments. That localism matters because it means flowers aren’t just products but rather thoughtful expressions. The florist knows that birthday flowers differ from sympathy flowers, Read more…

Sainte Genevieve Art Center & Museum – Historic Legacy Meets Living Creativity Nestled comfortably in the shadow of the historic Sainte Geneviève Catholic Church at 310 Merchant Street, the Sainte Genevieve Art Center & Museum occupies a place of quiet significance in both the physical and cultural landscape of Missouri’s oldest town. This isn’t just another small-town art gallery—it’s a vital institution that illuminates Ste. Genevieve’s surprisingly important role in American art heritage while serving as an active, thriving hub for contemporary creativity. A Building with Its Own Story The Art Center is housed in a stately Norman-Revival stone building that itself tells a story of community pride and celebration. Built in 1934 in preparation for the city’s bicentennial celebration, the structure reflects the civic confidence and architectural ambition of Depression-era America. The choice of Norman-Revival style—with its solid stone construction, arched openings, and medieval European echoes—was particularly fitting for a town celebrating its French colonial heritage. That this beautiful building now serves as home to the Art Center creates a perfect synergy: historic architecture preserving and presenting both historic and contemporary art. The stone walls that once marked a bicentennial milestone now safeguard the legacy of artists who found Read more…

Ste. Genevieve Antique Mall At 500 Market Street, a massive 1920s factory building that once hummed with industrial production now houses something entirely different: Missouri’s most consistently open antique mall in a town famous for shops that keep their own hours. The Ste. Genevieve Antique Mall came about because of a disaster that became an opportunity—when a tornado destroyed the county’s only antique mall in nearby St. Mary, Patrick Fahey and Dr. Susan O’Donnell recognized both the need and the chance. They were already invested in Sainte Geneviève through the Main Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, and they knew downtown could support a substantial antique destination. So they transformed this aging factory into a seven-day-a-week destination with over 80 booths housing everything from Depression glass to mid-century furniture, vintage advertising signs to antique tools, jewelry to collectibles—creating the kind of reliable, climate-controlled shopping experience that brings people back and anchors downtown retail. Inside the mall, PJ’s bar and coffee shop extends the experience: grab coffee while browsing Saturday and Sunday mornings, return for evening drinks and live music on Friday nights (5 PM-8 PM), or stop by Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings for beer, wine, and conversation. Why Reliability Matters Read more…