St. Louis approaches the holidays through its Midwestern Catholic identity, its brewing heritage, and the city's signature Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales tradition. The combination of Italian-American neighborhoods, German immigrant heritage, and the Mississippi River setting gives the season a distinctive Heartland character.

• Garden Glow: The Missouri Botanical Garden's holiday light installation is one of the most-attended botanical events in the Midwest.
• Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park: One of the country's longest-running drive-through holiday light displays, in operation for more than a century.
• St. Louis Italian-American Food: The Hill neighborhood, the city's Italian-American district, runs a distinct holiday calendar of toasted ravioli (a St. Louis invention), provel-cheese-topped pizzas, and gooey butter cake from bakeries like Gioia's, Missouri Baking Co., and Federhofer's.
• Anheuser-Busch and the Clydesdales: The historic brewery campus is decked out and open for self-guided tours during the season, with the Budweiser Clydesdale stables in their original 19th-century barn.