When the temps go down, the entertainment in Grand Center Arts District heats up as the holiday event season hits its stride. Whether you’re a music lover, looking for an exciting new take on date night or holiday adventure for your family, pick your itinerary and head over to the District for a night (or day) of festivities.

For Music:

With live music 7-nights a week, it’s a given that there will be plenty of opportunities for a holiday jam fest. First, kick-off the night with a cocktail to the tune of live music at The Dark Room, located in the stunning and historic Grandel Theatre. For dinner, try Turn in the .Zack. With a rotating 72-album display along the main wall, Turn is known for their exceptional playlist and equally exceptional farm-to-table fare by Chef David Kirkland. At showtime, pick one – any one! – of several holiday-themed musical feasts at Jazz at the Bistro (Big Band plays Ellington’s ‘Nutcracker’, A Very Manly Christmas) Powell Hall (A Gospel Christmas, Mercy Holiday Celebration), The Sheldon (Home For Christmas, Dean Christopher: Rat Pack Christmas), or The Grandel (Brothers Lazaroff Hanukkah Hullabaloo).

“One of the country’s best Hanukkah celebrations” moves to The Grandel Theatre for 2018. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Magazine.

For Family:

The holidays are made for family-time, so when you feel like gathering up the troops and taking them somewhere special, we got your back. Meet us at the family-owned Grand Center Arts District staple, Vito’s, for truly authentic (and award-winning) Sicilian pizza, then take a stroll to Stauss Park for a photo opp in front of the Tree of Lights. Be sure to make a pit stop at Miss M’s Candy Boutique. Here, the kids can choose from a variety of confections to take home, while you peruse their selection of gifts and gift baskets. For the main event, check out one of several family-friendly shows like A Christmas Carol or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at the Fox, the Wintermarkt at Urban Chestnut’s Midtown Biergarten, or Home Alone in concert at Powell Hall.

Urban Chestnut’s Wintermarkt is cause for cheer and ‘Cheers!”

For Date Night:

When you decide its time to sneak away for a night out with a friend or significant other, start with a pre-show cocktail and apps at the Byzantine-inspired Curtain Call Lounge. Not only was it voted St. Louis’ sexiest bar by the Riverfront Times in 2016, but it’s also St. Louis’ first Champagne bar and offers an extensive selection of champ, wine, and cocktails – so get your toast ready. For the show, choose from a few unique options, like strolling the galleries for First Fridays in Grand Center Arts District or going for some holiday-themed laughs at ‘A John Waters Christmas’ at The Sheldon. After the show, fuel up with a late dinner at Grand Tavern (located on the first floor of the Angad Arts Hotel) before heading up to the 13th floor Angad Rainbow Terrace where tunes await, and you can dance into the night.