As hard as it may be to believe the Christmas holidays are returning to Perryville, holiday events begin as early as this Sunday and will continue throughout the rest of the season. These are three of the top events planned.
National Shrine Tree Lighting
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 1805 W St. Joseph St. in Perryville, invites the community to be a part of its annual tree lighting event, “Lighting the Way to Hope,” being held Sunday, Dec 1, on the shrine grounds.
Vincentian Marian Youth Mass will begin at 5 p.m. A tree near the Shrine Church will be lit at 6 p.m., along with Christmas caroling in honor of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Visitors attending this event are asked to bring at least one non-perishable item to help the Ladies of Charity Food Pantry address the needs of others in the community.
Hot chocolate and cookies will be available as attendees enjoy the Christmas decorations on the grounds. New this year will be a visit by Saint Nicholas. Photo opportunities with him and families will be available.
Share with family and friends this opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons. For more information, contact Frank Ryan, volunteer coordinator by calling 573-768-7013 or by email at fjryan@amm.org
National Shrine Tree Lighting
When: Saturday, Dec. 1: Mass – 5 p.m., Lighting – 6 p.m.
Where: National Shrine, 1805 W St. Joseph St., Perryville
More information: Call 573-768-7013 / email fjryan@amm.org
Sponsored by The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Christmas on the Square
Have yourself a “Perry” little Christmas by participating in this year’s annual Christmas on the Square being held from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 in downtown Perryville.
At 4 p.m., choir performances begin, followed at 5 p.m. by Story Hour with Mrs. Claus on the stage. At 6 p.m., the Lighted Christmas Parade will begin, immediately followed by the Lighting of the Christmas Tree and pictures with Santa.
Children are encouraged to bring their letters to Santa and drop them in the community mailbox.
Horse and carriage rides will be available following the parade.
Firepits for making s’mores will be located on the square and there will be a storefront decorating contest.
“It's just a good family-friendly time, said Crystal Jones, executive director of Perry County Economic Development Authority. “It’s going to be a great evening that no one will want to miss.”
The event is sponsored by Downtown Perryville Advancement.
Christmas on the Square
When: From 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
4 p.m. – Choirs; 5 p.m. – Story Hour; 6 p.m. – Parade
Where: Downtown Perryville Square
Sponsored by Downtown Perryville Advancement
Christmas Country Church Tour
In its 19th year, the Christmas Country Church Tour, held Dec. 19 and 20, will have 39 churches participating in northern Bollinger County, northern Cape Girardeau County, all of Perry County and southern Ste. Genevieve County.
“It also includes Kaskaskia Church in Beecher City, Ill.,” said Trish Erzfeld, Perry County tourism director. “We’re very proud of the tour. At best, it takes 450 volunteers to pull off this two-day event. We have people decorating the churches. We have greeters that work the tour from 2-9 p.m. Each day. We’ve got folks that are baking cookies and making refreshments. We could not do this without our volunteers. Each of them is very passionate about the church they are serving, and it comes through when the people visit.”
It is a self-driving tour with maps available at several locations, including the Perryville Welcome Center, on the visitperrycounty.com website, all the participating churches, and will be published in the Republic-Monitor. Participants are encouraged to only visit a few of the churches, so more time can be spent admiring the architecture and getting to know the congregants.
For more information, go to https://visitperrycounty.com/christmas-country-church-tour/
Christmas Country Church Tour
When: 2-9 p.m. Dec. 19 and 20
Where: Thirty-nine area churches
Sponsored by Perry County Heritage Tourism
