Santa Claus will make numerous appearances at Eureka events this year.
He will start by helping the city kick off the holiday season with the annual Holiday Tree Lighting event from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at the Spur, 394 S. Central Ave.
Santa also will be available for pictures from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Spur, and he will be part of the five sessions scheduled for Pizza with Santa on Dec. 5-8 at the Wm. F. “Bud” Weber Community Center, 333 Bald Hill Road in Legion Park.
Parks and Recreation Department supervisor Lizzie Roberds said the events are free to attend, but people are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to be donated to the Eureka Food Pantry.
She said people must register for the Pizza with Santa events.
People must register for a session in person at the Timbers of Eureka, 1 Coffey Park Lane.
Roberds said registration for Pizza with Santa started on Nov. 1.
Tree lighting
Roberds said Santa will arrive at the Spur on a firetruck a few minutes after 5 p.m., and the tree will be lit at about 5:15 p.m.
“We’re excited to have everybody out,” she said. “We’re hoping for some really nice weather and to have a nice time lighting the tree.”
After the lighting ceremony, families are invited to take pictures with Santa. Show-Me Reindeer of Moberly will bring two of Santa’s reindeer for additional photo opportunities.
Roberds said the event will include free hot cocoa and cookie decorating and craft making stations.
Visitors also may write letters to Santa and put them in a mailbox set up by a Girl Scout troop. The troop’s members will write a letter back to those who include a self-addressed and stamped envelope during the tree lighting ceremony, Roberds said.
Matt Walz with Matt’s Outdoor Contracting in Villa Ridge will provide the tree for the lighting ceremony and will trim and decorate it.
Dance Art Dance Studio, the Eureka High School Jazz Band, Launch Pointe Dance Studio and the Junior Golden Line Dance team will perform on the main stage throughout the evening, Roberds said.
According to the city’s website, parking will be available at Geggie Elementary, 430 Bald Hill Road. Attendees will “follow the lights along Flat Creek Trail to get to the Spur for the event.”
Pictures with Santa
Roberds said the Pictures with Santa event is another chance for children to meet with Santa if they couldn’t make the tree lighting ceremony.
According to the city’s website, attendees are encouraged to bring their own camera in addition to a nonperishable food item for the Eureka Food Pantry. The city will not be taking or selling photos during the event.
Roberds said the Eureka Food Pantry Facebook page often has posts recommending food items to donate.
“Easy meals, canned meals where you don’t need other ingredients to make them are always good (to donate),” she said.
Pizza with Santa
Due to popular demand, Parks and Recreation has added another session of the Pizza with Santa event this year for a total of five.
The sessions will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5; 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6; and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2:30-4 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.
“It’s free for the public, but it is registration-based,” Roberds said. “Last year, we added a fourth session, a Saturday night (session), and we still had so many left on the wait list for every session, so we were able to add a third session on Saturday this year.”
In addition to pizza, the event will feature a hot cocoa bar, lemonade, cookie decorating and a letter to Santa craft, Roberds said.
The theme for this year’s event will be Artic Adventure.
“We go all out decorating the community center every year,” she said. “There will be lots of polar bears, penguins and the Northern Lights.”
For more information about the holiday events, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 636-938-6775.
“We’re really excited for another beautiful holiday season here in Eureka,” Roberds said.