The city staffer organizing this year's Tree Lighting Festival and Santa Parade works in Fairview Heights' economic development department. The department's October report to the city's community committee lists both events. A few lines earlier, the same report covers a new tenant on Lincoln Highway and construction plans for a Take 5 and a Skechers on North Illinois Street. The city plans its holidays together with its local businesses. The tree goes up in a roundabout between two stores, the parade is held inside the mall, and the snow globe photo spots rotate through local shops. St. Clair Square schedules its own events on the same weekends, so one outing can cover both.
The season starts Saturday, November 7. Here's how it unfolds.
Saturday's tree stands between Mueller Furniture and Gabe's
The 2nd Annual Tree Lighting runs Saturday, November 7, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Market Place Roundabout. The tree is lit at 5:45 p.m. The city's holiday page lists holiday shopping, festival food, bounce houses, crafts, story time with the library, live music, school bands and church choirs. It's free, and the event listing adds "plenty of vendors to purchase from."
The location tells you who the event is built around. Last year's listing put the roundabout between Gabe's and Mueller Furniture. The vendor rules point the same way. Under the city's sponsorship policy, only Fairview Heights businesses with a current business license can host a booth. Nonprofits pay half price, $50. Political campaigning isn't allowed, though current elected officials may set up informational booths. Sponsorships come in four tiers:
| Tier | Cost | What the business gets |
|---|---|---|
| Snowflake | $150 | 10×10 tent, name on social media and the city website |
| Snowball | $250 | Tent, tier booth placement, name on the sponsor banner, logo on social and web |
| Snowman | $400 | Tent with table and two chairs, logo on the banner, social and web |
| Snow Angel | $700 | Premium booth spot, logo on main event signage, a dedicated social post, mailer listing, recognition during the lighting |
The city provides the canopy. Vendors bring their own tables and chairs, plus a generator if they need power. Cooking inside the tents isn't allowed, but food warmers are, and the city can set aside a separate cooking area. That's why the food at the roundabout tends to come from trucks and warming trays more than from open grills.
The mall's calendar falls on the same weekends
On the same Saturday, St. Clair Square opens its Fall Craft and Vendor Market, which runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 7 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. If you start at the mall that afternoon, you can still get to the roundabout before 5:45. The same overlap repeats all season:
| Date | City event | St. Clair Square event |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Tree Lighting, 3–7 p.m., Market Place Roundabout | Fall Craft and Vendor Market, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | None | Fall Craft and Vendor Market, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Santa Parade, 6 p.m. | Parade is held at the mall |
| Nov. 20–Dec. 24 | None | Santa's Workshop, 134 St. Clair Square |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Family Light Tour, 5–10 p.m., from The REC | None |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa Visits at The REC, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Winter Wonderland Craft & Vendor Market, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | None | Winter Wonderland Market, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. |
Individual stores add their own events. Macy's lists a "Royal-Tea with Alex Sanchez" makeup event on November 11. Maurices hosts a Merry Little Holiday Party on Thursday, November 12, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Level 1, space 140. Pet Photos with Santa runs Mondays from November 23 through December 14. Santa's Workshop hours vary by date.
The Santa Parade is held indoors, and the floats are wagons
The city's own event at the mall is the Santa Parade, set for Wednesday, November 18, at 6 p.m. at St. Clair Square. It looks nothing like a street parade. The city's sign-up page describes who takes part and what they bring:
Open to all mall businesses and non-profit community groups. Participants are encouraged to dress festively and create a small float using non-motorized options, such as a decorated wagon or cart with a snow or winter holiday theme.
The walkers are mostly the mall's own tenants plus local groups, pulling wagons past the storefronts they work in. The parade is in its second year or later. The city's December 2025 committee report says the department coordinated last year's parade at St. Clair Square and that it drew more people than in previous years. Because it's on a Wednesday night, families can catch it after school and work without giving up a weekend.
Snow globes, social posts and the Shop Big weekend
The rest of the campaign is spread across the city's businesses. Life-size inflatable snow globes owned by the city are available for local businesses to host through November and December. Businesses reserve dates through the economic development office. The holiday page calls them photo spots "made for selfies, silly poses, family photos." The globes go to businesses, not parks, so finding one usually means walking into a shop.
The city has run this kind of campaign before. Its December 2025 report lists a Snow Globe Selfie Competition, with several businesses reserving globes. It also lists a "12 Days of Small Businesses" Facebook campaign, where a single post drew 270 likes, 50 comments and 30 shares. The season closed with the city's first Residential Light Display Competition. In October, the department met with The Fource Group to review marketing materials for the city's winter campaign.
The campaign peaks over Thanksgiving weekend. The city is promoting Black Friday on November 27 under its "shop big" slogan. On Small Business Saturday, November 28, it asks shoppers to support "the small businesses that make our community shine." The holiday page names four local sponsors so far: Sistaz Beauty Bar, Champions of Lincoln Trail, Play It Again Sports and The Perfect Pop Gourmet Popcorn.
The one night the city takes you out of town
The Family Light Tour on Friday, December 4, is a bus trip from 5 to 10 p.m. that leaves from The REC parking lot. It stops first at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, then visits Candy Cane Lane, and ends at Tilles Park before the ride home.
It's also the only event on the list with a ticket price. Seats cost $45 for one guest, $90 for two, $120 for three and $160 for a family of four. Each additional person is $40. You have to register at least a week ahead, which puts the cutoff around Black Friday.
The next morning, Saturday, December 5, Santa visits The REC from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the visit is free. A second visit is Saturday, December 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. The mall's Winter Wonderland Market opens at 11 a.m. that same Saturday, so a family can see Santa at The REC and still make the market.
What has changed along the retail strip since summer
The October staff report that lists the holiday events also tracks new business along the strip, and some of it has happened since summer. Uptown Cheapskate is at 10 Lincoln Trail, Suite 100, the former Skechers Warehouse Outlet space, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. The city's October 21 report lists the store as "occupied and operational." Owners Mark and Laurie Byham came to the franchise after his more than 30 years in the U.S. Navy, SIUE reported in August. Firehouse Subs at 5909 N. Illinois St. reopened in July under new owners Evelyn and Chris Steinacher, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.
Two more projects are underway on North Illinois Street. A Take 5 Oil Change at 6211 N. Illinois St., between Chick-fil-A and Chili's, was approved in July, the BND reported. A Skechers store of roughly 9,000 square feet is planned at 6101 N. Illinois St., per the BND. Construction plans for both had been submitted as of the October 21 report.
Plenty of people who own homes here come to the Market Place Roundabout on November 7 for the tree, the choirs and the 5:45 lighting. If you're thinking about where your family might spend its next holiday season, whether that means staying in Fairview Heights or moving within the Metro-East, Dream Team would be glad to talk it through with you. Schedule a Free Consultation, and we'll walk you through the streets around the roundabout and The REC.
