2009 Christmas Schedule in Southern Illinois

Santa Claus will be in Southern Illinois throughout the holiday season, house tours will be popular tourist draws, and there will be no shortage of holiday parades. Here's a quick schedule of what can be expected this year.

Nov 27-29 Holiday Open Houses in Alto Pass (Union Co). Alto Pass. 618-893-4898 or 2206.

Nov 27-29 Holiday Open Houses along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. www.shawneewinetrail.com

Nov 27-29 Holiday House at Magnolia Manor (Alexander Co) At 2700 Washington Ave. Cairo. 618-734-0201

Nov 27-Jan 1 Greenville Christmas Holiday Display (Bond Co). Greenville. 618-664-3050.

Nov 28 Breese Lights Christmas Parade and Santa (Clinton Co). Breese. 6128-526-4321.

Nov 28 Mt. Carmel Christmas Parade (Wabash Co). Mt. Carmel. 618-262-5116

Nov 28 Light Up the Village Tree (Jasper Co). 3pm-4pm. Ste Marie.

Nov 29 Waterloo Christmas Walk (Monroe Co). Waterloo. 618-939-6160.

Nov 29 Freeburg Candlelight Colonial Dinner (St Clair Co). Freeburg. 618-539-3665.

Nov 29 O'Fallon Illuminated Christmas Parade (St Clair Co). O'Fallon. 618-207-9861.

Dec 1 Santa Train (Jasper Co). Santa stops at Newton train station. See http://www.inrd.com/santa_train.shtml. Newton. 618-783-3399.

Dec 1-31 Centralia Festival of Lights (Marion Co). Centralia 618-532-3214.

Dec 1-31 West Frankfort's Candy Cane Lane and Christmas in the Park (Franklin Co). Several blocks of decorated homes along Candy Cane Lane, plus Tim Murphy's "Fantasy Land" holiday decorations. West Frankfort. 618-932-3213

Dec 2 Because It's Christmas (St Clair Co). Belleville. 618-229-6852.

Dec 3 Freeburg Christmas Memories Dinner (St Clair Co). Freeburg. 618-539-3665.

Dec 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24 Meet with Santa and Mrs Claus (Richland Co). At Olney City Park Community Building. Meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus 6-8pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Christmas.

Dec 4, 11, 18 Holly Jolly Jasper County Christmas (Jasper Co). Santa on the Newton Square with characters from Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. Entertainment, horse and buggy rides. Stores open late for shoppers. Newton. 618-783-3399.

Dec 4-5 Christmas in Carlyle (Clinton Co). Multiple activities including a parade in downtown Carlyle. Carlyle. 618-594-2468.

Dec 4-5 Caseyville Mouse House (St Clair Co). Caseyville. 618-345-6256.

Dec 4-5 Christmas in My Hometown (Marion Co). Salem. 618-548-2222.

Dec 4-6 Christmas on the River (Randolph Co). Chester. 618-826-5114.

Dec 4-Jan 2 Edwardsville Winter Celebration (Madison Co). Edwardsville. 618-692-2094.

Dec 5 Greenville Holiday Bazaar (Bond Co). Greenville. 618-664-1230 x 3222.

Dec 5 Coulterville Country Christmas Walk (Randoklph Co). Coulterville. 618-758-2500.

Dec 5 Father Christmas (Madison Co). Edwardsville. 618-692-1818.

Dec 5 Mt. Carmel Christmas Parade (Wabash Co). Route goes north from City Hall at 219 Market. Mt Carmel. 618-262-5116.

Dec 5 Lunch With Santa (Marion Co). Centralia. 618-532-3214

Dec 5 Vandalia Rotary Christmas Parade (Fayette Co). Vandalia. 618-283-1141.

Dec 5 Albion Festival of Lights Christmas Parade (Edwards Co). Albion. 628-445-2303.

Dec 5 Holiday Open House (Jasper Co). Sunrise Community Youth Center. Jasper County. 618-783-3399.

Dec 5 Lawrenceville Santa Comes to Town Parade (Lawrence Co). 11am-12pm. Lawrenceville. 618-943-3516

Dec 5 Metropolis Christmas Parade (Massac Co.). Annual parade features bands, floats and Santa Claus. Metropolis. 800-949-5740.

Dec 5-6 Lebanon Hometown Christmas (Madison Co). Businesses provide food and drinks with special holiday sales. Lebanon. 618-537-6625.

Dec 5-6 Christmas in the Barn at Rainbow Ranch (Washington Co). Highlighting biblical animals. Petting farm with bunnies, goats, exotic dwarf cattle, camels, even a zebra. Plum Hill. 618-424-7979.

Dec 5-6 Holidays at the Homestead (Madison Co). Highland. 618-651-8271.

Dec 5-6 Okawville Country Christmas Stroll (Washington Co). Includes Festival of Trees, other holiday activities. Okawville. 618-243-5694.

Dec 6. SantaComes to Nashville (Washington Co.). Santa arrives at 4pm aboard a fire engine and meets with the children one-on-one at the Santa House located in front of the Washington County Courthouse through 6pm. Many downtown businesses will be open during the period. A chili refreshment stand will also be available 4-6pm. Santa's visiting hours during the season will be posted at the Santa House. Nashville.

Dec 6 Maeystown Old-Fashioned German Christmas (Randolph Co). Maeystown. 618-458-6660.

Dec 6 Shrine Choir Advent Concert (St Clair Co). Belleville. 618-394-6272.

Dec 6 Anna Carols at Candlelight (Union Co). 4p.m. Historic St. Anne's on South Main Street. Parking behind Stinson Library. Informal Christmas celebration in quaint 1886 church listed on National Register of Historic Places. Free. Anna. 618-833-9441

Dec 12 Vandalia Statehouse Christmas Open House (Fayette Co). Vandalia. 618-283-1161.

Dec 12 Golconda Christmas House Tour (Pope Co). Features four homes and historic church decorated for the season, Santa enters town on fire truck, huge bonfire. See website at www.mainstreetgolconda.org . Golconda. 618-683-9702

Dec 12-13 Holidays at the Homestead (Madison Co). Highland. 618-651-8271.

Dec 12-13 Santa's House (Madison Co). Troy. 618-667-8769.

Dec 13 Evansville Christmas Walk (Randolph Co). Evansville. 618-853-4453.

Dec 13 Salem Christmas Home Tour (Marion Co). Salem. 618-548-2843.

Dec 13 Second Sunday Celtic Music (Lawrence Co). 2-5pm at White Owl Winery. Free. Birds. 618-928-2898

Dec 13 Olde Tyme Christmas (Massac Co). At Fort Massac State Historic Site, reenactors represent the French, Early American, and Civil War traditions of Christmas. Music and refreshments at the visitor center. Metropolis.

Dec 15-17 Bus Tour of Breese Lights (Clinton Co). Breese. 618-526-4700.

Dec 20 Winter Solstice Sunrise Observance (Madison co). At Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Woodhenge. Collinsville. 618-346-5160.

Dec 31 Aviston New Year's Eve Party (Clinton Co). Aviston. 618-228-9111.

Dec 31 Ramada New Year's Eve Party (St Clair Co). Fairview Heights. 800-947-0317.

Dec 31-Jan 1 Chauncey New Year's Eve Party (Lawrence Co). At Chauncey Community Club in Sumner. Carry-in foods and bingo, starts 6:30pm. Ends 1am. Sumner. 618-947-2211

Dec 31. La Guiannee (Randolph Co.). From the French tradition of house-to-house visits by La Guiannee society singers in Prairie du Rocher. Stops include Fort de Chartres State Historic Site where the public is invited, refreshments served.

For information on these and other activities, check out the Southern Illinois Road Trip website at http://home.midwest.net/~howes/southernillinoisroadtrip/index.html.