Places to Go, Things to Do

Lots of holiday lighting; lots of hiking

November is the time when holiday lighting displays begin throughout the St. Louis metro area. It's also a month when you can take a wide variety of nature hikes.

(Every month, Young Saint Louis.com searches for activities kids can do with their families during the month. Lots of the things we find are outdoors and many of them charge little or no admission.)

Holiday Light Shows:

Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park

The 23rd annual Winter Wonderland holiday light show starts Wednesday, Nov. 26, and runs through January 4, 2009. The site is Tilles Park in St. Louis County.

Admission charge is $9 per vehicle. The drive-through hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday. The route is open on Saturdays, but only for carriage rides.

For information, either call (314) 615-7275 or visit www.stlouisco.com/parks.

Santa's Magical Kingdom in Eureka

The Santa's Magical Kingdom lighting display will open Friday, Nov. 14, at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Eureka.

This display involves two million lights and some of the latest in lighting animation.

For information, call (636) 938-5925 or visit www.eurekachamber.us.

Our Lady of the Snows Way of Lights

The Way of Lights display at the National Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill., will open on Friday, Nov. 21, and run through January 4, 2009. Hours are from 5 to 9 p.m.

Admission is free. Carriage rides are available.

For information, call (618) 394-6700 or visit www.snows.org.

A-B Brewery Christmas Lights

The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Christmas Lights display also opens on Friday, Nov. 21, and runs through January 2, 2009. Over 800,000 lights give a festive glow to the brewery on Pestalozzi St.

For information, call (314) 577-2000.

Holiday Festival of Lights

The Holiday Festival of Lights involves a simultaneous lighting in both downtown St. Louis and Clayton. The lights are switched on at 6:30 p.m on Friday, November 21, 2008.

The complete event in both cities is from 5 to 8 p.m. In St. Louis, the focus is at Keiner Plaza while the lighting in Clayton is centered at St. Louis County Memorial Park.

For information on the St. Louis event, call (314) 436-6500.

For the Clayton event, call (314) 615-7086 or visit www.christmasinstlouis.org.

St. Louis Zoo Wild Lights

U.S. Bank's Wild Lights display will open at the St. Louis Zoo on Friday, Nov. 28, and close on December 14, 2009.

Admission for the lighting display is $5 ($4 for members) but zoo parking is free.

For information, call (314) 781-0900 or visit www.stlzoo.org.

Holiday Wreath Exhibition

The unique Holiday Wreath Exhibition at the Missouri Botanical Garden will open Friday, Nov. 21, and run until January 4, 2009. It will be held in the Ridgeway Center with hours from 9 a.m,. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $8 but kids 12 and under are free.

For information, call (314) 577-5100 or visit www.mobot.org.

Hikes and Rides

Discover the Treasure Bike Hike

A 10-mile Discover the Treasure Bike Hike will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in extreme north St.Louis County. The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

Riders will explore the variety of floodplain habitats that make the Bottoms area unique. The CA is on the south side of the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

For information and reservations, call (314) 877-6014.

Military Timeline Hayrides

Military Timeline Hayrides will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, and Sunday, Nov. 9, at Fort Belle Fontaine. Riders will go through the historic fort area and will be entertained by re-enactors.

The Saturday rides will be at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Sunday rides will be at noon and 2 p.m. After the rides, you can return to the camp sites and talk to the re-enactors.

For information, call (314) 544-6224. Admission is $5 per person but kids 7 and under are free.

Fall Discovery Hike

A Fall Discovery Hike will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County. The hike is along the Fallen Oak Trail.

This is a hike especially designed for families.

Reservations are needed. For information, call (636) 441-4554.

Fall Color Hike

A Fall Color hike is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Rockwood Reservation Conservation Area in west St. Louis County. The hike is for kids 7 and up.

The hike will give kids a taste of the fall color in a heavily wooded area.

Reservations are needed. For information call (636) 458-2236.

Turkey Trek

The Rockwood Reservation also will be the scene for a Turkey Trek hike for families. The hike will be Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Hikers will go along the 2-mile Turkey Ridge Trail and will include talks about wild turkeys.

Reservations are needed. For information, call (636) 458-2236.

Fossil Hunt for Kids

Kids 7 through 14 are invited to a Fossil Hunt at the Greensfelder Park in west St. Louis County.

The hunt will be led by a park naturalist. The event is from 10-11:30 a.m. and includes a 20-minute class in the park's Visitors Center.

Advanced registration is required. Call (314) 615-8471.

Veteran's Day Parade

The St. Louis Veteran's Day Parade will be held in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The event starts with a ceremony at the Soldier's Memorial at 11 a.m. The parade will begin at noon. Admission is free.

The parade route runs from 14th and Olive south to Chestnut, then east to Tucker, south on Tucker to Market and then west on Market to Union Station.

For information, call (314) 589-6613.

Saint Louis Youth Symphony Concert

The Saint Louis Youth Symphony will held at concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, at Powell Hall.

The symphony will be under the leadership of its new conductor, Ward Stare.

For tickets, call (314) 534-1700 or (314) 534-llll. Or visit www.slso.org.