# Downtown St. Louis Festival of Lights & Kiener Plaza Tree Lighting > Event for families in the St. Louis area (MO / IL). Times are Central Time. - When: Sat, Nov 21 · 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM - Where: Kiener Plaza, 500 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63101 - Ages: All ages (free public outdoor festival with stroller-friendly plaza and fireworks) - Price: Free admission for all activities, stage performances, tree lighting ceremony, and fireworks; food and ice skate rentals available for purchase. - Organizer: City of St. Louis & Gateway Arch Park Foundation - Official page: https://www.archpark.org/events/festival-of-lights - Last checked: Sat, Nov 7 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/downtown-st-louis-festival-of-lights-and-kiener-plaza-tree-lighting--listing-5c2ccfb74f20f3e92dd15c5b ## About The Ameren Missouri Festival of Lights is Downtown St. Louis's signature holiday kickoff celebration at Kiener Plaza, directly framed by the iconic Gateway Arch. This full-day festival features live children's stage performances, holiday character meet-and-greets, free cookie decorating, face painting, and festive food trucks. The evening culminates in the ceremonial illumination of the majestic 40-foot Salvation Army Christmas tree, followed by a spectacular fireworks display over the city skyline and the grand opening of the Winterfest outdoor ice skating rink. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Flat, spacious paved urban plaza with seamless ADA ramps, making double strollers and wagons effortless to maneuver. • Restrooms & Facilities: Heated public restrooms with baby-changing tables are available on site and at the adjacent Gateway Arch Visitor Center. • Parking: Ample covered garage parking with elevator access is located directly adjacent at the Kiener East and Stadium East garages. • Age Suitability: All ages welcome; free admission makes it an accessible kickoff for all families. ## Similar picks in St. Louis - [Alton Community Tree Lighting](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/alton-community-tree-lighting--listing-0d225a8b9f8e8d45a30d22b2) — Fri, Nov 20 · 6:00 PM · Lincoln-Douglas Square, Alton · All ages · Free · checked Oct 20. 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