Did you miss the Missouri Botanical Garden's Garden Glow — or fail to make it over to A-B to see the Brewery Lights? Quit feeling guilty! Christmas may be over, but the fun continues all this week, with five holiday activities that aren't ready to call it quits just yet. But don't stall too long — one of these events closes on December 31 and the others enjoy their last hurrah over the weekend. Make plans now before it's too late.
1. See the Brewery Lights
Through January 3
When Jack Frost's nipping at your nose, you have a couple of options: A) nose-warmer or B) booze. The nose-warmer is a bad look for most, so enjoy a pint of our hometown's beloved brew as you stroll among the Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (1200 Lynch Street; 314-577-2626 or www.brewerylights.com). (Another great warm-up option: the s'mores kits available around the on-site fire pits, which are only $2.50 per kit.) One of the region's most popular holiday traditions, the lights twinkle all across the majestic A-B campus and can be peeped on foot or by car. If you're feeling snacky, check out the offerings in the Biergarten, including soft pretzels and chili. The brewery lights are open 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (through Sunday, January 3), but walking tours are not available on New Year's Eve. Self-guided walking tours and beer samples are free; food and other activities are extra.— Brooke Foster
2. Catch MoBOT's Garden Glow
Through January 2
Transport yourself to a world of sheer holiday magic at the third annual Garden Glow. This event turns the already-gorgeous Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; 314-577-5100 or www.mobot.org) into a Yuletide dreamscape, with a million-plus lights twinkling throughout the grounds. Snap your photo against wintertime backdrops, enjoy traditional holiday tunes, take part in special seasonal festivities, and dig into warming comfort foods in the garden's on-site café, Sassafras. Garden Glow is open 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (November 21 to December 17), and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. nightly from Friday, December 18, through Saturday, January 2. Admission is $6 to $18.— Brooke Foster
See also: 12 St. Louis Restaurants with New Year's Eve Specials
3. See a Train Exhibit at MoBOT
Through January 3
This season, have yourself an evergreen little Christmas at the Gardenland Express train exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; 314-577-5100 or www.mobot.org). The theme is "conifers of the world," and it celebrates those cone-bearing plants of the season — the pines, junipers, firs, yews and spruces. Six tracks of LGB G-scale model trains chug along through the 5,000-square-foot display of live plants (coniferous and blooming), which is enlivened by miniature winter scenery such as ice skaters on a pond and skiers on the slopes. Gardenland Express is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Sunday, January 3, 2016. Tickets are $5, in addition to the regular garden admission of $3 to $8.— Mark Fischer
4. Check Out a Lego-Based Nativity
Through December 31
You wanna give the kids a thrill? Take 'em to a Christmas display on a Tuesday night. The Way of Lights at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows (442 South Demazenod Drive, Belleville, Illinois; 618-397-6700 or www.snows.org) offers discounts on Tuesdays, and you can avoid the heavy crowds that arrive on the weekend. There's a petting zoo, Christmas tree and wreath displays, a new display of secular scenes crafted out of Legos, and the ever-popular life-size Nativity scene crafted out of Lego blocks — it's a show-stopper. You can even eat dinner there thanks to the open-every-night buffet. The Way of Lights is open 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday through December 31. Admission is free, but some activities require a fee.— Paul Friswold
5. See a Light Show in Brentwood
Through January 2
It's been difficult to get into the winter holiday mood with all of these 70 degree days. But if you pack everybody in the car, blast Christmas music and head to Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park (9551 Litzsinger Road, Brentwood; www.stlouisco.com/parksandrecreation), you'll get that mistletoe feeling. The county parks department's big light show includes amenities such as carriage rides starting at $55 and the special proposal package. Winter Wonderland is open 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly through Saturday, January 2, 2016, but closed on New Year's Eve. Admission is $10 for a family vehicle.— Paul Friswold
See also: 15 New Year's Parties to Satisfy Every Urge
