Photography courtesy of Gateway Arch Park Foundation
There’s just something magical about ice skating at a rink that’s aglow in holiday lights. (And, try as we might, it can’t quite be replicated virtually.) Starting Saturday, you can skate, run, shop, s’more and more, live and in person at Winterfest at Kiener Plaza, weekends through the new year.
New this year, Winterfest gets off to an ambitious start with the Inaugural Winterfest 5K Saturday morning. The route shows off the gorgeous updated Arch grounds—lace up those kicks, and get going at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Ice skating then starts Saturday at noon, and visitors can skate for free on Opening Day. Then, that evening, the Ameren Missouri Festival of Lights is illuminated, with a tree lighting and fireworks.
Beyond the classics, there’s plenty of new and expanded offerings at this year’s fest.
On December 11 and December 17 from 4–8 p.m., score local gifts at Winterfest Night Markets, which feature offerings from a curated group of makers, as well as music, performances, and art activities. “We wanted to make sure that we found a new, unique set of makers who are local to St. Louis,” says Camille Brooks, director of programming and events for Gateway Arch Park Foundation. (Some are even specific to downtown—how’s that for hyper-local?)
If you’re hungry, tuck into offerings from upcoming culinary star Juwan Rice, chef and owner of JR’s Gourmet. For the DIY-inclined, four s’mores stations are spread across the festival.
For a more private and swank experience, try reserving your own heated igloo. “New this year, we have an expanded offering of igloos,” Brooks notes. “We have a few more because we sold out all season in 2019. We added a few more so we could accommodate everyone.”
In a thoughtful gesture to the spaghetti-legs crowd, Winterfest is partnering with Learn to Skate USA, which will be on hand for two Sundays, November 21 and December 5, to offer free lessons for less-than-confident skaters. “They promise that after 30 minutes, you’ve got it,” Brooks says.
“We were very fortunate to be able to do this virtually last year,” says executive director Ryan McClure. “To bring this back in person is really important and exciting for us.”
