St. Joe Today hosts Countdown to New Year, a daily giveaway event through the month of December!

HOW TO ENTER:

Each time you spend $25 (one time or cumulative purchases) at an SJT member business you will receive one entry.

Qualifying purchases must be made at an SJT member location between November 22 - December 15, 2024

To receive an entry form, please present receipt(s) of purchase(s) to an SJT staff member at the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center is located at 301 State Street in downtown St. Joseph.

For a list of SJT members visit:

EAT - stjoetoday.com/eat

SHOP - stjoetoday.com/shop

STAY - stjoetoday.com/stay

PLAY - stjoetoday.com/play

PRIZES:

Prize winners will be drawn daily, December 1-15.

Winners for December 16-31 will be drawn and announced on December 16 to allow more time to use gift cards!

Prizes are $50 gift certificates from various SJT member locations.
 

Celebrate the winter season in Michigan’s Great Southwest! Attendees will enjoy extended shopping hours, events, special offers and more.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: 

FRIDAY
      Light up the Bluff | 6:00p (Ceremony), 6:30p (Tree Lighting) | Lake Bluff Park
      Merry & Bright Weekend | All Weekend | Throughout Southwest Michigan

SATURDAY
      Reindog Parade | 3:00p | Downtown St. Joseph
      Santa's House | 4:00p-7:00p (special hours immediately following the parade) | Downtown St. Joseph
      Merry & Bright Weekend | All Weekend | Throughout Southwest Michigan

SUNDAY
      Holiday Artisan Fair | 11:00a-4:00p | Union+Social
      Santa's House | 1:00p-5:00p | Corner of State & Pleasant
      Merry & Bright Weekend | All Weekend | Throughout Southwest Michigan

2024 MERRY & BRIGHT WEEKEND PARTICIPANTS: 

1232 Broad St Mercantile - Shoppers will enjoy special savings storewide! 

Affinity Salon & Spa - Free gifts with purchase, free hair tinsel, sales on Aveda, Kevin Murphy and ELEVEN, stocking stuffers. Plus, Affinity will auction off a gift basket worth $300!

Box Factory for the Arts - Free Gallery exhibits that feature their Annual Member Show feat. Jan Sonneman. Plus visit the Art Market Shop for great holiday gifts handcrafted by local artists! Weekend hours: 12:00p-4:00p Friday-Sunday. 

Caffe Tosi - Find stocking stuffers and fun gift ideas!

Chartreuse Art Co-Op - Extended holiday shopping hours, opening at 10a on Fridays and Saturdays during the month of December! Shoppers will enjoy complimentary gift wrapping and amazing offers the local artists of Chartreuse have created for your gift-giving needs. 

DK Boutique - 20% off regular priced items all weekend!

Forever Clean Soap Works - Open until 7:00p on Friday, December 6!

G&M Variety - Extended hours until 9:00p on Friday, December 6!

Glik’s - Enjoy some delicious gingerbread cookies + some of the best prices on your favorite fashions at Glik's on Saturday, December 7! All weekend long shoppers will enjoy a deal on Men’s Bottoms Out Flannel Sleep Pants for just $14.90 + customers who “text to join” will receive either 10% or 15% off their entire purchase, just mention it at checkout!  

Grins of St. Joseph - Christmas specials including their daily Advent deal! 

Harbor Town Interiors - 15%-30% off items in store!

Jewelfire Diamond Center - Enjoy 10-20% off select merchandise and complimentary gift wrapping!

Krasl Art Center - On Friday, December 6 from 6:00p-8:00p for some festive activities! Attendees will enjoy free hot chocolate and a special guest appearance by Santa while local artists showcase their sketching skills. Still looking for gifts? Check out The Shop at KAC which features decorative and functional artwork, handcrafted by local and regional artists!

Lazy Ballerina Winery - Festive events all weekend long! Friday, December 6: Shoppers will enjoy extended hours until 8:00p; Saturday, December 7: Pop-Up Shop with O&Co. from 2:00p-4:00p; Sunday, December 8: Holiday Candle Magic Class with Sky Apothecary at 1:00p! 

Lee & Birch - During Merry & Bright Weekend, December 6-8, shoppers will receive 20% off their entire purchase!

Oh My Darlings - Complimentary snacks + refreshments and a free gift with all purchases

Olive Cart - Stop by and enter the KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway!

Perennial Accents - Pop-Up Shop feat. The Dot Shop on Friday from 6:00p-8:00p and Saturday from 10:00a-3:00p! Shoppers will enjoy yummy samples in the kitchen with Lou Ann on Saturday from 11:00a-4:00p and Sunday from 12:00p-3:00p! Complimentary gift wrapping always! Weekend hours include Friday/Saturday from 10:00a-8:00p and Sunday from 11:00a-5:00p. 

Plank’s Tavern - Brunch with Santa on Sunday, December 8. Brunch will be served from 9:00a-3:00p with a visit from Santa from 10:00a-1:00p! Diners will enjoy brunch from an a la carte menu with special children’s brunch features. 

Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra - SMSO presents the Lake Michigan Youth Orchestra’s Winter Concert at 3:00p on Sunday, December 8 at the Howard Performing Arts Center at Andrew’s University! For more information and tickets visit smso.org.

Spa at Harbor Shores - Special Merry & Bright Weekend promotion - purchase one massage and receive a facial for free! It’s the perfect way to treat yourself or a loved one to some holiday relaxation and rejuvenation.

St. Joe Community Taproom - Check out their brand new merchandise just in time for the holidays + a holiday themed drink release! 

The Christmas Tree - Shoppers will enjoy 10% off great dog and cat ornaments + free personalizing! After you purchase all of your one-of-a-kind gifts, look for the magical Christmas Tree on your receipt paper. If you find a tree, you’ll win a gift! If the tree appears, you’ll win a gift! Plus enjoy samples of new dips and spreads that are quick & easy to make.

The Lilac Loft - Check out new holiday candles + new products including lotion, hand soap car freshies, body mist and room sprays! Each item is $12 each, or 3 for $30. They will also offer a “Build Your Own” Holiday Gift Basket where you can choose up to three products to include in your basket for just $35. What a great holiday gift!

Waterfront House of Framing & Fashion - 50% off storewide (excluding custom framing) all weekend!Friday: Art Exhibition from 6:00p-7:00p.

White Pine Winery - WPW continues their Black Friday sale with 10% off 4 bottles; 15% off 6 bottles and 20% off 12 or more bottles of wine, mix and match.

Yours Truly, Elizabeth - Beautifully handwritten addressing of envelopes with the purchase of boxed Christmas cards from 10:00a-4:00p on Saturday, December 7!  

Picture perfect holiday fun is available weekends in December in downtown St. Joseph. Santa's house will be located on the corner of State and Pleasant Streets - outside of the St. Joe Today Welcome Center.

Photography is not provided. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own camera!

Santa’s House Hours: December 7-23
December 7 | 4:00p-7:00p
December 8 | 1:00p-5:00p
December 12 | 4:00p-6:00p
December 13 | 4:00p-6:00p
December 14 | 12:00p-5:00p
December 15 | 1:00p-5:00p
December 19 | 4:00p-6:00p
December 20 | 4:00p-6:00p
December 21 | 12:00p-5:00p
December 22 | 1:00p-5:00p
December 23 | 12:00p-5:00p

The annual Reindog Parade is a great time for all. This event features dressed up pets and their owners in a variety of holiday garb. Be prepared to see all kinds of costumes from “Santa Bernards” to “Reindeer Rottweilers” – definitely a must-see event! The event also marks the arrival of Santa. After the parade, children can share their wish lists with Santa at Santa’s House.

PARTICIPANT INFO:
Those who wish to participate in the parade MUST register in advance at stjoetoday.com/reindog or day of at the Welcome Center. Cost: $5/pet - additional pets $3 each. If you’re looking to take home a prize, judging begins at 1:00p and ends at 2:45p right outside the Welcome Center. The parade will kick off at 3:00p, participants are asked to line up at the corner of Elm & State Streets by 2:50p.

Day-Of-Registration: 12:00p-2:45p (Welcome Center)
Judging: 1:00p-2:45p (Outside of Welcome Center)
Parade Start: 3:00p (Corner of State & Elm) 

2024 FAQ's

REGISTRATION is open for 2024!

Register

Join us for an indoor Holiday Artisan Market from 11:00a-4:00p at Union + Social!

Want to become a vendor? Visit our Vendor Information page. 

Merry & Bright Weekend hosts a number of festive events to put you in the holiday mood! From holiday stories to magically lit wonderland strolls, open houses, holiday shopping and last-minute wish lists we’ve got you covered. Celebrate the holiday season here in Michigan’s Great Southwest!

Getting into the holiday spirit is easy when you visit downtown St. Joe! On Friday, November 22 kick off the holiday season with three great community events - Luminary, Window Wonderland and Countdown to New Year. This night will also feature sneak peeks of specials, one-of-a-kind gifts, free gift wrapping, new merchandise, events and festive fun throughout Southwest Michigan! 

Double, double toil and trouble. We’re on the search for all things spooky in Michigan’s Great Southwest! It’s been a fun-packed fall with even more to come through the end of the month. With everything from trick-or-treating and spooky-themed classes to Halloween parties, activities for the whole family and more! Keep reading for festive events leading up to Halloween.

Fall is here in Michigan’s Great Southwest! Check out our bucket list to make the most of this autumn.

The third weekend of the month, May through September, celebrate all things Southwest Michigan (SWMI) during the Love Local weekends! This month attendees will enjoy sidewalk sales, live music, a Farmers Market, Fall Fest, and other area events in addition to extended shopping hours and special offers throughout SWMI. Read on for a complete weekend guide! 

Love Local is sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro.