Wentzville Holiday Night Lights 2026: Plan Your Perfect Evening

At Rotary Park, the route is one mile long. It winds past lit scenes and through tunnels of small lights, then ends near the Kolb Building, which sits across from an open field and the big tree. Between Friday, Nov. 27, and Wednesday, Dec. 30, you can see that same mile from a car seat, at a race pace, at a stroll, or on the way to visit Santa.

Those four uses share the route on a set schedule. The drive-thru closes for the two Walk-Thru nights and opens late on race night, and Santa Saturdays add a stop at the end of the drive-thru on three December evenings. Once you see how the dates fit together, choosing your nights gets easy. One Sunday, Dec. 6, packs more onto the calendar than any family can fit into one evening.

The Drive-Thru Is the Default, and Its Gaps Are Deliberate

The drive-thru runs nightly through Dec. 30. The city describes the hours as 5 to 9:30 p.m., but its calendar entries list a 5:30 p.m. start, so arriving after 5:30 is the safe choice. If you count from Nov. 27 to Dec. 30, the display could run 34 nights. It closes on three of them: Dec. 13 and 14 for the Walk-Thru, and Christmas Day. It also opens late on Dec. 6, when the lights come on around 7 p.m., after the 5K finishes.

The city says this year's display has new scenes and additions along the route. That's a reason for returning families to drive it again, even if they've seen it before.

Ticket prices reward planning ahead. A carload of up to six people costs $15 in advance and $20 on-site, and each extra passenger is $1. Tickets are sold through the City of Wentzville ticket page. Vehicles longer than 30 feet can't enter, because the route has tight turns. That matters if the out-of-town guests arrive in an RV or a big passenger van.

How the Season Lays Out

Sunday, Dec. 6, Asks You to Choose

Most nights, the schedule works on its own. On Dec. 6, the 5K at Rotary Park and the tree lighting downtown start within half an hour of each other. Here's how that evening runs, according to the city's event pages:

1. 4 p.m. Day-of packet pickup opens for the 5K at Rotary Park.
2. 4:45 p.m. Packet pickup ends and the course closes to street traffic.
3. 5 p.m. The Holiday Night Lights 5K and Fun Run starts.
4. 5:30 p.m. Mayor Nick Guccione starts the tree lighting in Historic Downtown Wentzville, at Luetkenhaus and Pearce boulevards.
5. About 6 p.m. The Christmas Parade leaves Pearce Hall at 317 W. Pearce Blvd. It heads east on Pearce, turns north on Luetkenhaus and ends at the Station 1 Firehouse, 502 Luetkenhaus Blvd.
6. After the parade Cookies, candy canes, hot chocolate, and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the firehouse.
7. Around 7 p.m. The Rotary Park drive-thru lights come on.

The runners, the parade crowd and the drive-thru traffic all show up within roughly two hours. A family that wants to see the tree lit downtown should plan that evening around Pearce Boulevard and save the lights for another night, since the drive-thru runs on 31 nights. A family with a runner should plan around Rotary Park, since the lights will still be there on later nights.

The race page says there's no registration on race day. It also set Nov. 1 as the date to register for a guaranteed sweatshirt in your size, and as the last day for refunds. Nov. 1 has come and gone by the time this post runs, so a late sign-up through the race registration page comes with no shirt-size guarantee. The race offers a fleece-blend crewneck sweatshirt and a finisher medal, plus chip timing, water and snacks at the finish. Poage Chevrolet sponsors the race.

If you're interested in the parade itself, the Wentzville Downtown Business Association gives float awards of $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third, plus an honorable mention. The application is on the city's tree lighting and parade page.

The Walk-Thru Takes Over Two Drive-Thru Nights

The drive-thru closes on Dec. 13 and 14 so people can walk the route. From 5 to 8 p.m. both nights, the city opens the full mile on foot, with carolers along the way. Food vendors include Travelin' Tom's Coffee, a mobile truck that serves cappuccinos, frappes, nitro lemonade and hot chocolate.

On foot, the price works the other way. Walk-Thru tickets are $8 per person in advance and $10 at the gate, and children 2 and under get in free. Four people who are all older than 2 would pay $32 in advance to walk, compared with $15 to drive the same route as one carload. You're paying the difference for the carolers, the cocoa and seeing the lights up close without a windshield in the way.

Before you go, a few details from the city's Walk-Thru page are worth knowing:

• A ticket works on either night, but you can use it only once. That leaves Monday open if Sunday's weather doesn't cooperate.
• Parking on-site is free.
• A short stretch near the start is grass and gravel, which matters if you're bringing a stroller, wagon or wheelchair.
• Dogs aren't allowed. The city cites its ordinance banning animals at city-sponsored events.

The walk ends at the Kolb Building, which the city turns into an indoor Christmas setting with Santa on hand both nights.

Saturdays Add a Stop at the End of the Route

The rest of the season, the Kolb Building is the drive-thru's Saturday stop. Santa is there on Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and the city invites drivers to stop on their way through.

Two of those Saturdays line up with other events. Dec. 5 is also race expo day, so a runner's family can pick up the packet in the morning and see Santa that night. Dec. 12 is the night before the Walk-Thru, so you can choose between visiting Santa from the car on Saturday or on foot on Sunday or Monday.

The letter deadline comes before Santa's last visit. Mailboxes for Letters to Santa are at the WREC and the Kolb Building from late November through Dec. 16. That's three days before the final Santa Saturday on Dec. 19, though the city also takes letters in person at Santa Saturdays.

The Season Also Runs Through the Rec Centers

The Wentzville Rec Center shows up all over this calendar. Racers can pick up packets there during regular hours on Dec. 5, and it has one of the Santa mailboxes. It's also one of three drop-off spots for Wentzville Parks and Recreation's Parks for a "Claus" Holiday Drive, which runs Nov. 2 through Dec. 11. The other two are the Progress Park Recreation Center and the Wentzville Ice Arena.

Donations go to the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, and everything donated must be new. The list includes diapers in sizes 4 to 6, pull-ups, unscented wipes, LEGO kits, Play-Doh, STEM and craft kits, household basics, and gift cards to Aldi, Schnucks, Walmart, Target and QuikTrip. The full list is on the Crisis Nursery's 2026 wish list. The drive ends Dec. 11, so a trip to the WREC for a Santa letter in early December can include a drop-off too.

Dinner Before the Lights or After the Parade

Historic downtown has a few local options for a parade-night or lights-night meal. Old Town Smokehouse, a family-owned barbecue restaurant and bar, is at 2 E Main St. Dukes BBQ Shack is at 100 Ash St. Addy's Wentzville, a gift and boutique shop at 144 E Pearce Blvd, is right along the parade's route on Pearce. Its website still showed summer hours of Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so check its holiday schedule before you plan a shopping stop around it. On a busy night like Dec. 6, call any of these businesses first to confirm hours.

If you're planning Wentzville holidays with guests in town, or wondering how your own house will look in photos with this season's lights and greenery, the Bliss Homes team is happy to share what we know about this town in December. If you're also curious what your home would be worth on today's market, start with an instant home valuation, and enjoy the drive through Rotary Park.