Holidays (and Nights)

Try as she might, Ms. Day can't get the holidays timed exactly right. She's always belatedly putting up her tree, buying gifts on December 23, baking cookies at 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve and generally worrying about getting everything done instead of enjoying the season. By the time Christmas is over, Day is completely in the mood for Christmas — but it's too little, too late. This year, she's hoping that holiday magic will motivate her and fill her heart with cheer, and sooner rather than later. But she's not going to wait around the house for this enchanting feeling to overcome her — she's going to head out to America's Center (701 Convention Plaza) to catch the fa-la-la-la-la fever. From noon to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday (December 4 through 6), Holiday Magic at the convention center will have the season in full swing with concerts, puppet shows, storytelling, gift booths, lights, carnival rides and more, honoring Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa alike. There's also the Le Cordon Bleu Stage, which offers demonstrations on what to do with leftovers and how to carve ice, an iron-chef competition and other festive foodie topics. To see the full schedule and to learn more, visit www.stlholidaymagic.com; admission costs $6 to $10 and includes all rides.
Dec. 4-6, 2009