Highland Around Town - Dec. 27 edition
Noon Friday, Dec. 29, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Submissions will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Send event info via email to lifestyle@bnd.com. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Wednesday, Dec. 27
▪ Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits — 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis. Visitors can listen to storytelling, try out crafts, shop for locally crafted products, and participate in activities focused on wellbeing in a Kwanzaa event at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Kwanzaa is a Swahili term that means “first fruits,” and this contemporary African-American holiday centers around the feast table of the harvest. A reimagined event includes educational activities focused on the meaning behind each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. mobot.org
▪ Highland Health Care Center Holiday Lights Display — Dusk to 9 p.m. thru Tuesday, Jan. 2. Highland Health Care Center, 1450 26th St., Highland. The display is open for the community to drive through and experience thousands of festive lights and holiday decorations in collaboration with the EvUCC Church.
▪ Way of Lights — 5-9 p.m. thru Sunday, Dec. 31. National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 442 DeMazenod Drive, Belleville. This breathtaking display focuses on the birth of Christ. Free admission, donations accepted. snows.org/wayoflights
▪ Missouri Botanical Garden 11th annual Garden Glow — Hours vary nightly through Saturday, Jan. 6. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis. Celebrate the holiday season at the most spectacular holiday lights experience in the St. Louis area. Featuring nearly two million dazzling lights, Garden Glow transforms the iconic setting of the Missouri Botanical Garden into an enchanted wonderland rich with mesmerizing displays and unforgettable moments. Advance tickets encouraged. For hours and info: mobot.org
▪ U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo — 5-8:30 p.m. on select dates from through Saturday, Dec. 30. Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis. Escape to a wild wonderland with brand new twinkling light displays and festive family fun. For dates, tickets and other info, visit stlzoo.org/wildlights.
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group — 6:30-8 p.m. Online via Zoom. Free peer-to-peer support group for adults with a mental health condition working towards recovery. Every Wednesday. Open the Zoom app and enter 3914844542. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.
Friday, Dec. 29
▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.
Saturday, Dec. 30
▪ Metro East Model Railroad Club Holiday Open House — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 180 Summit St., Glen Carbon. Visitors are welcome to view trains running on the Club’s 18 x 27 foot HO scale model railroad. Free admission. Snacks provided. For more information, please call Bob at 618-476-9228, or Bill at 618-531-1589, or check the web site at trainweb.org/memrc.
Tuesday, Jan. 2
▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. Free and open to all. For info or to join the Zoom meeting, contact Craig at 618-567-6095. palgroup.org
Other area happenings
▪ Tri-Township Library Book Sale — 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 5. Tri-Township Library, 209 S. Main St., Troy. Book donations accepted during the book sale and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. 618-667-2133.
▪ Green Door Art Gallery: Hooked on Fibers — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, Jan. 10 thru March 24. Green Door Art Gallery, 21 N. Gore St., Webster Groves, Missouri. Opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19. “Hooked on Fibers: The Art of the Stitch” features rug hooking textile art by Sheri Ahner, and mixed media fiber art by Chris Burton, Liz Davidson and Ana Sumner. The artwork will be available for sale. 314-202-4071 or greendoorartgallery.com.
▪ Prairie Heart Foundation Heart Walk & Education Event — 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Korte Recreation Center, 1 Nagel Drive, Highland. Get powered up as you and your loved ones walk your way to a healthy heart. This low-impact, high-fun event for all ages includes a variety of activities to fuel your heart-healthy journey, along with prize drawings throughout the morning. Representatives from local HSHS hospitals will be at the event providing health information and education. Register for the walk by Feb. 9 at prairieheart.org/heart-walk.
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Carlyle Lake Christmas Tree Recycling Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will be collecting used, real Christmas trees for the annual Christmas Tree Recycling Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources use these trees to provide effective and economical fish habitat at Carlyle Lake.
Christmas trees can be donated through January 28, 2024, at the following locations: Plant Land (located on Old Route 50 east of Breese), Keyesport Boat Ramp, and the Little Prairie Nature Trail parking lot located in the West Spillway at Carlyle Lake. All decorations, including garland and tinsel, must be removed. No artificial trees or wreaths.
Every spring, volunteers from various conservation minded organizations and clubs donate their time to help submerge the trees in the lake as fish shelters. These fish shelters provide breeding areas, resting places, and protection. They give young fish much needed living spaces where they can feed on plankton and avoid being preyed upon by larger fish. The protection provided by the trees allow young fish to grow to maturity and ultimately provide more fish for anglers.
If you are interested in volunteering to help place Christmas trees in the lake in the spring, please contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484 or email at carlyle.lake@usace.army.mil.
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Madison County to host its 27th year of Christmas Tree Recycling
If you’re looking to recycle your Christmas tree, you’re in luck — Madison County is offering free drop off sites.
“Rather than toss the tree in the trash, take it to a recycling location,” Madison County Building and Zoning Administrator Chris Doucleff said.
Madison County’s Building and Zoning Department in coordination with townships and municipalities will provide 31 drop-off sites for residents to dispose of their Christmas trees.
The program is in its 27th year and Madison County continues to encourage residents to recycle. Recycled trees are kept out of landfills and can help the environment by keeping them from sitting around and slowly decomposing.
Doucleff said that the recycled trees are chipped into mulch and used in public gardens and parks across the county.
All lights and ornaments must be removed prior to drop-off. Pine wreaths, pine roping, or other landscape waste are prohibited. To find drop-off sites visit Building and Zoning’s website at https://www.madisoncountyil.gov/departments/planning_and_development/recycling_101.php.
Trees will be accepted at all sites from Dec. 26 through Jan. 14, 2024.
Building and Zoning created a downloadable guide, which depicts what holiday items can and cannot be placed in single-stream recycling. Other common holiday items such as burnt-out light strands, plastic bags, bubble wrap, and plastic air pillows are recyclable but not in your single stream bin. These items can be dropped off at recycling bins found at many local stores.
For additional information, www.earth91.com is a great resource to find drop off locations for these items locally.
Visit https://www.madisoncountyil.gov/departments/planning_and_development/index.php for more information.
