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Photograph by Anne McCullough
Cherokee Print Bazaar.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNE MCCULLOUGH
December 2 | 15th Annual Maplewood Christmas Tree Walk
At 6 p.m., Maplewood officially ushers in the holidays with the lighting of its Christmas tree at Citizens National Bank Park. Carolers and Santa Claus will be on hand for the occasion, too. Then grab a hot chocolate and take a carriage around Maplewood, or stroll through the downtown historic district, where local businesses (including Vom Fass, Penzey's, Larder & Cupboard, Bee Naturals, The Book House, and Side Project Brewing) will hold open houses and offer holiday specials. (Read more about the event here.) Free. 6–9 p.m. Downtown Maplewood, maplewood-chamber.com.
December 2 | Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time is Here
You might already be sick of Christmas music (some stores have been piping it through the PA system since Halloween), but even if you can't stand to hear the Muzak version of "Jingle Bells" one more time, know that Reeves can redeem even the most exhausted, threadbare holiday tune and make it glow and sparkle. The New York Times called her "the most admired jazz diva since the heyday of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday," and its music critic Ben Ratliff called her album Christmas Time is Here "one of the best jazz Christmas CDs I've ever heard." This concert, which includes songs from that record, promises to convert even the most anti-holiday-music curmudgeon. $23–$59. 8 p.m. Touhill Center for the Performing Arts, 1 University, touhill.org.
December 2 & 3 | The Fat Babies
This eight-piece 1920s and '30s jazz band hails from Chicago and has never played in St. Louis. So The Fat Babies have decided to play two concerts to celebrate performing here for the first time: The first show, on December 2, will be in the intimate confines of Off Broadway; the second, on December 3, happens at the period-appropriate Casa Loma Ballroom, where the floating dance floor will fill up with folks from St. Louis' Lindy Hop and Jitterbug communities, all dressed in vintage finery. "Ensembles that play early-period jazz are in perpetually short supply, and those that handle repertoire of Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and other pioneers at a high technical and artistic level are rarer still," notes Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich. "That makes Chicago’s Fat Babies a band to be treasured, these musicians dispatching pre-bebop music with the passion and respect it deserves but rarely receives.” $10–$12, 8 p.m. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp, offbroadwaystl.com; $15, doors at 7:30 p.m., dance lessons at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. 3354 Iowa, casalomaballroom.com.
December 2 & 3 | International Institute Holiday Bazaar
If you didn't do your early holiday shopping during the Festival of Nations in August, the International Institute gives you a second chance to pick up handmade items from crafters and artisans at its second annual holiday bazaar. The preview on Friday includes live music, drinks, and a first peek at vendors' wares. On Saturday, kids can make their own crafts while parents browse the tables and sip hot drinks. There will also be a fleet of food trucks on hand should you (or the kids) get peckish. $10 admission for Friday preview includes two drink tickets and attendance prizes; 6:30–9 p.m. Saturday's admission is free, but $5 enters you into a raffle and supports the organization's work. 10 a.m–4 p.m. International Institute, 3401 Arsenal, iistl.org/HolidayBazaar.html.
December 3 | Cherokee Print Bazaar
Formerly known as the Cherokee Print League Holiday Sale, this annual event has changed in name only. It's still one of the biggest print sales in the Midwest, offering handmade printed work from local and regional artists. This year, more than 40 artists and local businesses are participating (see the full list here). There will also be demonstrations, tours, and customized print-as-you-wait projects. Pick up a hand-printed passport listing the artists and venues at STL-Style, Foam, or Blank Space, and get it stamped as you make your way along Cherokee. Free. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Cherokee Street, cherokeeprintbazaar.com
And don't miss these other great events going on around the St. Louis area this weekend:
Top 5 Family-Friendly Events This Weekend
Pere Noel at the Jarrot Mansion in Cahokia
Performances of The Nutcracker
Cathedral Concerts: Stile Antiquo
Santa Jam at Peabody Opera House
Holiday Events in Belleville, Illinois
An Elegy for Marco at Millizer Studio & Gallery
Nick Waterhouse at The Duck Room
Central West End Annual Gala: Celebrating Music
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at The Pageant
Santa Claus is Coming to Westport
Deck the Streets in St. Charles
Winter Wonderland at The Sheldon
Window Walk in the Central West End
Into the Deep at Atrium Gallery
