Maybe it’s ice-skating under the outline of the Arch or sipping cocoa in an igloo on Kiener Plaza. Whatever your reason for visiting Winterfest, it’s been a St. Louis holiday staple for a decade. To celebrate the milestone, there will be even more free, frosty fun this year.
Running November 22–January 11, 2026, Winterfest’s 10th year kicks off right after Ameren’s Thanks-For-Giving Parade. The parade route will end where Winterfest begins, dropping attendees off at an anniversary celebration that includes tours of the floats, the Salvation Army’s tree-lighting ceremony, and local food and drink vendors.
“I think the highlight for everyone will be taking their portraits with Santa,” says Jason Douglas, senior manager of events for the Gateway Arch Park Foundation. “All of the Santas from around the nation will be there, so we’ll have different cultural Santas, and families can take their portraits with a Winterfest Santa from noon to 8 p.m. Who doesn’t want to have the opportunity to take their family holiday portrait in the shadow of the Gateway Arch?”
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The kickoff event isn’t the only extra-festive boost coming to Winterfest. Greater St. Louis Inc. will sponsor a more than 2,000-sqaure-foot heated lodge that will host a range of family activities, movie nights, workshops, and gift-shopping booths. Winterfest will also be decked out with more lights, photo ops, and dining options than in previous years.
In addition to s’mores stations, there will be Winterfest-inspired Crumbl Cookies, and Pour Decisions will provide cocktails and mocktails. New this year are concessions from Ed’s Food Truck, a 25-year veteran of the downtown food scene. The final major event of the season is a New Year’s Eve party on Kiener Plaza, complete with a family-friendly concert.
After out-of-town production companies have staged some less-than-great holiday events in recent years, Winterfest is determined to show why this locally run festival is so beloved. “This is our community,” Douglas says. “That’s why we want to make sure that we are a solid foundation that people can depend on and really plan their holiday festivities around.”
Part of that community commitment is ensuring that the festivities remain accessible for all and that ice-skating is free every week (as long as you bring your own skates). “We have continued to stay locally produced, and that’s really thanks to the outpouring of love and support from our community and our amazing volunteer program, which really gives the community the insight to help make this possible,” Douglas says. “When you come down to Winterfest, you just feel the magic. You feel that love and community. It’s a great time to have for the whole family. There’s something that everyone can do.”
Douglas’ team is looking to expand even more in the future. “The ultimate goal is that we’ll be able to encompass all of downtown and spread Winterfest from the Gateway Arch to Union Station,” he says. “There will be different activities along the way to encompass the holiday spirit and get more of the downtown St. Louis community involved.”
Douglas adds that Winterfest has already grown over the past decade. His team has been known to help coordinate marriage proposals on the fest’s grounds, as well as wedding photos with the backdrop of the Kiener Plaza tree. “I work for the greatest architectural site in this country,” Douglas adds. “Anyone who supports the Gateway Arch Park Foundation is not only supporting Winterfest but all of the events and ongoing programs that activate the Arch grounds and the free, family-friendly things that make downtown vibrant.”
Making a List
And checking it twice to make sure you experience all Winterfest has to offer this year.
- Tour holiday floats at the kickoff event November 22.
- Taste this year’s special Winterfest Crumbl Cookie.
- Visit the “lodge” for a gift-wrapping or holiday-hosting class.
- Go ice-skating for free. (Skate rental is extra.)
- Enjoy s’mores under the festive lights.
- Sip cocoa in an igloo with friends.
- Take a holiday portrait with the Gateway Arch as a backdrop.
- Grab a mocktail from Pour Decisions STL or a treat from Ed’s Food Truck.
- Shop holiday trinkets. (Think stocking stuffers!)
- Cap it off with a New Year’s Eve concert on Kiener Plaza.
