Town & Country's holiday season has two dates on it. On Thursday, Nov. 26, the 25th annual Turkey Trot starts at Longview Farm Park at 9 a.m. On Saturday, Dec. 5, Winterfest runs from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Town Square, and the city tree is lit at 5:15 p.m.
Both events are held on Clayton Road. Both are produced by the city. Both are planned in public months ahead by the Parks & Trails Commission, which had the times locked by its August meeting. The bigger regional light display is in a county park outside the city. That leaves Town & Country's own season small, easy to plan around, and very consistent from year to year.
Thanksgiving morning starts at 13525 Clayton Road
The Turkey Trot has a long run behind it. When the Board of Aldermen previewed the fall schedule on July 13, it called this year's race the 25th Annual Turkey Trot. That makes it about a third as old as the city, which marked its 75th anniversary in 2025.
According to West Newsmagazine's preview of the season, the race goes like this:
- 9 a.m. The 3-mile race starts at Longview Farm Park, 13525 Clayton Road.
- 10 a.m. The kids' half-mile starts.
- Cost. $25 for adults and $10 for kids 13 and under.
The early-registration discount ended Oct. 31. If you register now, you'll pay the standard price on the city's Turkey Trot page, where any updates to course details or packet pickup will also be posted. The city first posted its registration notice on Oct. 6.
The one-hour gap between the two starts helps families. Adults can finish the 3-mile course before the kids line up, so one household can run both races without splitting up. With a 10 a.m. finish for the youngest runners, most families will be home well before any Thanksgiving meal needs attention.
The park itself has seen work this year. The city's March 23 facilities update to the Board of Aldermen listed parking-lot resurfacing at Longview Farm Park among its 2026 projects. Dredging the Longview pond is planned for 2027.
What Fire & Ice showed about how the city runs an event
The Turkey Trot is the second fall event the city has held at Longview this year. The first, Fall Fire & Ice, took place on Oct. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. It's worth a look now because it shows how Town & Country grows its events.
The city first tried drone shows in 2025, as part of its 75th anniversary. This year the city's team designed new visuals for a show that closed Fire & Ice at 8 p.m. Peoples National Bank, Mari de Villa and Principia School sponsored it. Whiskey Morning, a band that plays 1990s country covers, came back after playing the 2024 event. The practical changes were small. Luxe Lou supported upgraded restrooms. A free shuttle ran from 4 to 9 p.m. between First Church of Christ, Scientist, at 750 S. Mason Road and the Longview main entrance, and the park's own lot was held for ADA parking and vendors.
Alderman David Murphy told West Newsmagazine how he sees these events:
"Our residents will often remind us to 'keep the country in Town & Country.'"
His comment matches how the calendar works. The events change a little each year, with a new show, a returning band or a better shuttle, while the dates, places and format stay the same. Winterfest works the same way.
Dec. 5 at Town Square, hour by hour
Winterfest moves the season to the other city park on Clayton Road. The city calendar lists it for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Town Square, 13360 Clayton Road. Here's what West Newsmagazine and the Parks & Trails minutes say is planned:
| What | When or who | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping booths | All afternoon | Local businesses and crafters |
| Food, drinks, fire pits | All afternoon | S'mores included |
| Santa | During the event | Photos, plus a Workshop with holiday crafts for kids |
| Parkway West choir | During the event | Confirmed at the Aug. 17 Parks & Trails meeting |
| Tree lighting | 5:15 p.m. | The last scheduled item before the 5:30 p.m. close |
The timing is what matters most. The tree is lit 15 minutes before the event ends. If the tree is why you're going, aim to be at Town Square by 5 p.m. If you're coming for the booths, early afternoon gives you the most time. An older Winterfest listing that still turns up in search shows Dec. 6 and a 5:30 p.m. lighting. That information is out of date. Use the 2026 times above.
The city's Winterfest page is the place to check for parking and the full vendor list as Dec. 5 gets closer. The Fire & Ice shuttle is a useful example of how the city has handled crowds at a park with a small lot, but the city has not announced a shuttle for Winterfest.
The bigger light display is in Tilles Park, outside the city
St. Louis County's Winter Wonderland is a drive-through light display at Tilles Park, 9551 Litzsinger Road, outside Town & Country's city limits. It runs nightly from 5 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, with a few nights closed. The county is also holding four walk-through photo nights, called "An Evening Under the Lights," on Nov. 20, Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. Each night has a 5 p.m. and a 7:30 p.m. session. The county's Winter Wonderland page has registration and the closed nights.
Winter Wonderland opens the night before Thanksgiving. A household could drive the lights on Wednesday evening and run the Turkey Trot at Longview the next morning. The county runs the bigger show. Town & Country's own season is the morning race and the afternoon at Town Square.
What is next for Preservation Park
The next addition to the city's parks is still being designed. On Aug. 10, the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a design-build agreement with American Ramp Company, Ordinance No. 4762, for a pickleball and bike playground at Preservation Park, 12625 N. Outer Forty Road. West Newsmagazine reported that the project is backed by a $465,000 St. Louis County Municipal Park Grant Commission award, that the bike-playground contract is capped at $100,000, and that the plans include wooden ramps and bridges.
By the August Parks & Trails meeting, 70% construction documents had gone to MSD. The commission's Oct. 13 agenda included a design review of American Ramp Company's work. No final design or construction date has been announced, so the bike playground won't be part of this winter. The project is moving through the same commission that put the Turkey Trot and Winterfest on the calendar months ahead. Its upcoming agendas are the best place to watch for a construction date.
Road work is moving too. On July 13, the Board approved T. Hill Construction's $865,153 contract for Phase 2A of the Topping Road pedestrian improvements. West Newsmagazine reported that $295,828 of it qualifies for federal reimbursement. The city's facilities plan puts construction of Topping Phase 2B in 2027.
If you're thinking about selling in the new year and want to know how Longview, Town Square or Preservation Park affect value on your street, Jason D Cooper can walk you through it. Schedule a personalized consultation.
