Single in St. Lou During the Holiday Season
Ah, the holidays! They're meant to be full of merry-making, partying with friends and family, and celebrating all kinds of faiths. They're also full of consumer-related advertising and pressure to be happy and sparkly. Everywhere you turn during this season, there are tons of commercials about giving presents to special someones and force-fed commentaries on how you really shouldn't be alone right now. For me, the holidays are especially exciting, frazzling, and everything in between because my birthday is two days after Christmas.
This year is the first year I've been single for the holidays since 2011. That's a little crazy to think about, but not totally when we consider the fact that I'm currently sitting on my couch in mismatched Star Trek socks, striped leggings, a hoodie from high school, and Nair on my upper lip to defuzz my face. Life ain't always so pretty around here, y'all. So, I've teamed up with Eventbrite to put together a little holiday guide for my city, and I thought I'd do it in terms of what to do in the Lou when you find yourself single this time of year.
- THINGS TO DO ON YOUR OWN AS A SINGLE HUMAN -
1) Take yourself out to a movie! I know this is always suggested, but here's a fun spot to try: The Hi-Pointe Backlot! You might be familiar with the Hi-Pointe theater already. It's been around for nearly 100 years, and St. Louisans George and Georgia James have owned the joint since the 1970s. Now, the Hi-Pointe also has the Backlot theater space, situated just behind the original building. The Backlot features the latest blockbuster releases, seats just about 50 people, and offers a selection of food items, beverages, and cocktails. It's intimate, so you won't feel so alone in a sea of people, and no one can see how many martinis you suck down.
2) Treat yourself to a wine tasting at neighborhood hotspot, Gustine Market! I live just nearby, and this cute little market boasts many locally sourced food items, and an amazing selection of over 200 wines! Oh gosh, they have fueled my problem! Sign up for their email list here and get alerts on when they have wine tastings, which are free to attend and come with little snacks to munch on as well. You can pop in alone, taste some wine, take home your favorite, and go back to snuggling with Netflix. Word is their next tasting is this Friday, December 18th!
3) Take a DIY class! Dabble has arrived in Saint Louis, and offers a fun variety of classes to take. There's one coming up this weekend that sounds like 75% of the gift wrapping community needs: How to Gift Wrap Like a Ninja! The class has 7 spots left, is only $10, and will help you make all your gift recipients "ooh" and "ahh" over how pretty their prezzies are this year!
- THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BESTIE, SISTER, COUSIN -
1) Hit the Missouri Botanical Garden for their annual holiday Garden Glow. St. Louis is home to one of the most gorgeous botanical gardens in the nation, and they sure know how to dress up their grounds for the holidays! I visited the Garden every year to see Santa as a kid, but now that I'm all grown up (sorta), I can go for the holiday Garden Glow, grab some wine while there, and wander the grounds after dark. I went last year with my family, and I have to say, it's one of my favorite memories of us all hanging out together. There's even mistletoe to smooch mama under, as seen above.
2) Try not to die while ice skating in Forest Park! Look, I consider myself fairly athletic, but I can only try to manuever in a straight line while ice skating. This makes it all the more fun to do with a group of friends or your bestie. Hold hands and try not to fall down. I've had more than one birthday party at the Steinberg Skating Rink, and I have lots of goofy memories of going on dates, falling on top of friends, and accidentally melting the bottoms of my sneakers at the bonfire they keep next to the rink. Hot chocolate and snacks are available, so you can stay all night! I may or may not have gone one year and brought whiskey to spike the hot chocolate with. Sometimes as a child I wondered why 20-somethings were giggling and had no control over their limbs for no apparent reason while doing activities like ice skating, and now I know. Ssshhhh...
3) Laugh your tush off at the gorgeous downtown Peabody Opera House while seeing Elf: The Musical. Inspired by the Will Ferrell movie, this holiday is sure to please the fans that remember the movie coming out in theaters, as well as youngsters who might be new to the story. Take your niece or nephew, or just grab any of your friends who love live theater.
I hope I've inspired you to try a few new things this winter in STL, whether you're in a relationship with wine and Netflix like me, or you're in a relationship with a cool human being!
Thanks to Eventbrite for asking me to share these ideas with you. For a detailed calendar and ticket purchasing for more neat holiday events in our city, check out Eventbrite's website. If you're looking for a streamlined way to create and track your own events, Eventbrite has that too!