Best Bets

Eight Free Sweet Spots for Trick-or-Treating

3 Votes

With its costumes, jokes, candy and fun, there's really no reason to contain all of your family's trick-or-treating to just one evening! There are plenty of opportunities to dress up and collect candy in the days leading up to Oct. 31. Here are eight sweet spots for trick-or-treating in St. Louis, and they're all free events. So give those costumes a run for their money, and hit the streets with your fairies, bumblebees, axe murderers and pirates in search of sugar-coated fun.

Goblin's Day in Kimmswick
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011
Bring your costumed kids to historic Kimmswick where you can walk from shop-to-shop for some early tricks and treats. Get the details.

Halloween Walk
5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011
Stroll the streets of downtown Kirkwood, where kids can trick-or-treat at participating businesses. Get the details.

Children's Halloween Parade
6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011
A parade of costumed kids will weave through Westport Plaza, leaving plenty of time for kids to trick-or-treat from area merchants. Call 314-738-2599 to reserve your family's spot in this Halloween parade. Get the details.

Halloween Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treating
12 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Mom or dad can shop while their little ghouls trick-or-treat at Whole Foods Market in Town and Country. There will be plenty of treats throughout the store a costume contest. Get the details.

Halloween in the Central West End
12 to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
The Central West End knows how to throw a Halloween party! The community's day of tricks and treats begins with a children's parade at 11 a.m., trick-or-treating at 12 p.m. and a pet parade at 1 p.m. Get the details.

Halloween Walk and Chili Cookout
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Families are invited to trick-or-treat along Main Street in Collinsville, Ill., but the fall fun doesn't stop there. A fall festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes a chili cookout and costume contests for kids and their canine friends. Get the details.

Monsters on the Meadows
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Trick-or-treat at the stores of the Meadows at Lake Saint Louis and enjoy pumpkin painting, balloon artists and face painters and hayrides. Get the details.

Trick or Treat on Main Street St. Charles
3 to 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 31, 2011
Get a headstart on evening neighborhood trick-or-treating. Costumed children ages 12 and younger can trick-or-treat at Main Street businesses. Get the details.

St. Louis Sprout Calendar Manager Liz Behan compiled this list of best bets. Behan has lived in St. Louis since she was 4. Her husband and two kids, ages 4 and 2, are always looking for ways to burn off some energy and have a good time as a family.

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Best Bets for Holiday Boutiques and Craft Fairs

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It's barely October, and believe it or not, holiday shopping has begun. Holiday boutiques and other shopping opportunities provide a bit of holiday cheer, opportunities for seasonal family fun, and a way for busy parents to scratch some names off their gift-giving lists. Here are a few best bets for holiday shopping events.

Chili Cook-Off and Craft Bonanza
Oct. 29, 2011
Typically, holiday boutiques and craft fairs are patterned after a simple model: lots of craft booths and a fundraiser bake sale. In Lebanon, Ill., however, event planners have something a bit spicier in mind. They've combined a chili cook-off with a craft bonanza. The hybrid event is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, in Horner Park, 11119 Widicus Road, Lebanon, Ill., 62254. Proceeds from the bake sale support the city's Winter Wonderland of Lights. For more information, visit the event website.

Francis Howell North Annual Holiday Craft Fair
Nov. 12, 2011
For the serious shoppers, the Francis Howell All-Knighter Parent Organization has a craft fair for you. With more than 135 booths in the school's two gyms, shoppers will find handmade crafts, photography, jewelry, a huge bake sale and other vendor products. Last year more than 2,000 people attended the event, which is now in its third year and continues to grow. The holiday craft fair is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Francis Howell North High School, 2549 Hackman Road, St. Charles, Mo., 63376. For more information, email organizer Yvette Pilkington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Holiday Expo: Craft and Gift Show
Nov. 18-20, 2011
A three-day event from Nov. 18-20, the Holiday Expo at St. Charles Convention Center features handmade, unique items and gifts you can't find in stores. Vendors will sell fall and Christmas crafts, gift items, baby items, holiday decor, jewelry and more. As an added perk, the expo has live entertainment and giveaways. The Holiday Expo is open Friday, Nov. 18, from 2-7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Charles Convention Center is located at 1 Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, Mo., 63303. For more information, email organizer Jane Chema at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Rotary Club Fall Arts and Crafts Fair
Nov. 19-20, 2011
Shop for a cause during the Rotary Club Fall Arts and Crafts Fair Nov. 19-20 at Lindbergh High School. The huge fair boasts more than 450 local and national artisan booths where shoppers will find ceramics, furniture, porcelain, glass pieces, paintings, jewelry, paper items, gift baskets, crochet and knitted items, bath and soap products, wooden items, sculptures, dried flower arrangements, and fabric creations. Admission is free, and the event benefits community projects organized by Crestwood-Sunset Hills Rotary Club and global efforts sponsored by Rotary International. The fair is open Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lindbergh High School is located at 4900 S. Lindbergh, St. Louis, Mo., 63126. For more information, visit www.rotaryfair.com/.

Holiday Spirit Craft Show
Nov. 19-20, 2011
In its 26th year, the Parkway South Band Boosters Holiday Spirit Craft Show is a West St. Louis County tradition. The event is Nov. 19-20 and features more than 200 booths with hand-crafted items and food concessions. The show is open Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The craft show is held at Parkway South High School, 801 Hanna Road, Manchester, Mo., 63021. For more information, visit the website.

29th Candlelight Christmas Walk
Dec. 2, 2011, and Dec. 9, 2011
Augusta's Candlelight Christmas Walk is as much about charm as it is about shopping. The historic town promises all the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Christmas. Augusta's shops and galleries will be selling holiday gifts, including hand-blown glass, paintings and jewelry, and visitors can also enjoy a bonfire, horse-drawn carriage rides, trolley rides and freshly-roasted chestnuts. The Christmas Walk is 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, and Friday, Dec. 9. Augusta is located just off Highway 94 in St. Charles County. For more information, visit www.augusta-missouri.com.

St. Louis Sprout Editorial Assistant Lori Barker contributed to this list of best bets. A lifelong St. Louis resident, Barker has raised two children in St. Louis.