From Thanksgiving until Christmas, the St. Charles Historic District is decorated for the holidays and has holiday activities and performances several days and evenings each week. There are Santas from around the world, carolers, a drum and fife corps, and over 40 costumed Victorian holiday characters from history, literature, and folklore. All of these characters walk throughout the district and interact with visitors and shoppers. There is an opening parade the day after Thanksgiving and, on Christmas Eve, a closing parade, followed by a farewell to Santa as he leaves to begin delivering gifts to children around the world.
Kathy and Annette wanted to do some shopping in the Historic District, so that’s where we headed after lunch. As we were walking around the area, the Christmas Eve Parade began. We went to the parade with Jeff’s family in 2015. It was sunny and in the 40s. Today it was around 20 degrees with a wind chill about 10 degrees colder. The parade moved faster and there were fewer attendees than in 2015, but it was still fun.
Here they come. The wassailers are first, singing warm songs in the cold.
These are the Victorian carolers.
This guy is the Master of Revels. I don’t know why his lipstick, eye makeup, and costume are bright blue.
Here comes Santa Claus!
Santa’s horse-drawn carriage is the last thing in the parade, so spectators along the sidewalks fill in behind him and follow him to the riverfront (one block east of here). Annette, Kathy, and Kari opted to shop inside a warm store; the brave boys (Sky, Dylan, and Teddy) came with Ted and me to the riverfront where they could play in the snow some more during Santa’s farewell ceremony.
I’m not an official crowd estimator, but I’d guess there were about 200 people braving the cold to wish Santa a good trip.
The man is one of the international Santa figures; the woman is Saint Lucia, the saint of light (candles in the wreath on her head).
Four more international Santas.
There’s a short ceremony on the bandstand to bid Santa farewell. That’s Dylan in his snow-covered jacket in the foreground. Sky is bent over ahead of Dylan.
Santa said all the girls and boys in St. Charles are on the “nice” list this year. Whew! That’s Mrs. Claus on his left.
It’s time for Santa to leave so he can load his sleigh and get started with his deliveries around the world.
And then it was time for the boys, Ted, and me to join the girls in a warm store before heading back home.