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Upcoming Events

2024 Countdown to New Year

Fri. November 22, 2024
- Sun. December 15, 2024
Start time not specified.

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:

EATstjoetoday.com/eat

SHOPstjoetoday.com/shop

STAY stjoetoday.com/stay

PLAYstjoetoday.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.
 

2024 Luminary

Fri. November 22, 2024
5:00pm - 8:00pm

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.

LUMINARY | 5:00p-8:00p | Downtown St. Joseph
Luminarias will light your way as you stroll through and explore downtown St. Joseph from 5:00p-8:00p during Luminary! Participating locations invite you to eat, shop, drink and be merry while you enjoy this charming lakeside town.
 
WINDOW WONDERLAND | 5:00p-8:00p | Downtown St. Joseph
Window Wonderland invites attendees to view the dozens of storefronts that have decorated their windows for the holiday season. Vote for your favorite window at stjoetoday.com/vote! Voting will be open starting at 5:00p on Friday, November 22 until 11:59p on Sunday, November 24. Please limit one vote per person!
 
COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEAR | ALL DAY | Throughout SWMI
EAT, SHOP, STAY, PLAY throughout SWMI for a chance to win local gift cards! Shoppers and diners can turn in receipts to the St. Joe Today (SJT) Welcome Center from purchases made November 22-December 15 at SJT member businesses. Earn one entry for every $25 spent (one time or cumulative purchases). SJT will draw winners throughout the month of December. Visit stjoetoday.com/countdown for more details!
 
2024 LUMINARY PARTICIPANTS: 

Affinity Salon & Spa - Sales & Giveaways!

Caffe Tosi - Open until 9:00p!

Chartreuse Art Co-op - Chartreuse will be celebrating 18 years of selling locally made art on Luminary night! Besides staying open late until 8:00p, we will have tasty snacks on hand and many of us local artists will be demonstrating our art-making, which we like to call "Meet the Makers" + a gift card raffle. Also, register to win a $50 Chartreuse Gift Card with purchase. Come out to enjoy this magical evening!

Edgewater Gifts 

Forever Clean Soap Works - Extended Hours, 10:00a-8:00p!

G & M Variety - Open until 9:00p!

Gallery on the Alley - Extended hours, wine, sweet treats and surprises!

Glik's - Cookies and cocoa, $25 gift card drawing, and pictures and storytime with Mrs. Claus.

Grins of St. Joseph - Extended shopping hours - open until 9:00p; Start your Christmas shopping with 15% off select regular priced clothing (see store for details).

Harbor Town Interiors - We will be offering extended hours, 20% off the entire store, and a gift basket giveaway.

Kilwins - Offering samples of fudge and sample chocolate candy bars and open till 9pm

Krasl Art Center - We will be hosting Gnome by Night: An artful soiree from 6:00p-9:00p!

Lana's Boutique - Extended hours & a storewide sale!

Lazy Ballerina Winery - LBW will be open late and serving heated spiced wine. Suisse Chalet bakery will be doing a popup. Fusion Center for Dance will be promoting their Nutcracker upcoming performance in the front window.

Lee & Birch - 20% off your entire purchase + a FREE $15 gift card for every $100 spent! We will be open late until 8:00p.

Maxwell Boutique - Extended Hours and Storewide Sale!

Oh My Darlings - Enjoy complimentary shacks + refreshments. Gift will all purchases!

Olive Cart - Holiday gift basket giveaway! One entry for every $25 spent. Ex: spend $50, get two entries!

Perennial Accents - We’ll be open until 8:00p, sampling yummy bites in our kitchen and offering our complimentary gift wrapping!

Revive Spa - Free gift w/Eminance purchase or facial, $10 off Teeth Whitening, retail discounts!

Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra 

St. Joe Community Taproom - Holiday decor unveiling, social district drinks with outdoor warming station!

Statements Style Lounge - 25% all products!

The Cheese Lady - Open until 8:00p, free gift with purchase, holiday appetizer samples!

The Culinary Cottage - Dinner demonstration with Becky, from Sourdough House, where she'll showcase the art of creating a stunning charcuterie board, just in time for the holidays. Learn the secrets to making simple breads like sandwich loaves, artisan loaves, rolls, and more with a few key ingredients. Her focus this evening will be dinner rolls, the process and hand rolling. A great learning experience, while getting ready for the holidays. Students will enjoy a variety of charcuterie for dinner, including sourdough! Each student will also leave with a dehydrated sourdough starter, full belly and recipe for sourdough rolls. 

Wanderlust Outfitters - Black Friday preview sale from 5:00p-8:00p!

White Pine Winery 

Wild Ginger Flowers & Gifts - Extended hours, open until 8:00p!

Yours Truly, Elizabeth - Extended hours until 8:00p!

 

2024 Window Wonderland

Fri. November 22, 2024
5:00pm - 8:00pm

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.

LUMINARY | 5:00p-8:00p | Downtown St. Joseph
Luminarias will light your way as you stroll through and explore downtown St. Joseph from 5:00p-8:00p during Luminary! Participating locations invite you to eat, shop, drink and be merry while you enjoy this charming lakeside town.
 
WINDOW WONDERLAND | 5:00p-8:00p | Downtown St. Joseph
Window Wonderland invites attendees to view the dozens of storefronts that have decorated their windows for the holiday season. Vote for your favorite window at stjoetoday.com/vote! Voting will be open starting at 5:00p on Friday, November 22 until 11:59p on Sunday, November 24. Please limit one vote per person!
 
COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEAR | ALL DAY | Throughout SWMI
EAT, SHOP, STAY, PLAY throughout SWMI for a chance to win local gift cards! Shoppers and diners can turn in receipts to the St. Joe Today (SJT) Welcome Center from purchases made November 22-December 15 at SJT member businesses. Earn one entry for every $25 spent (one time or cumulative purchases). SJT will draw winners throughout the month of December. Visit stjoetoday.com/countdown for more details!
 
2024 WINDOW WONDERLAND PARTICIPANTS: 

Affinity Salon & Spa 

Caffe Tosi 

Chartreuse Art Co-op 

Edgewater Gifts 

Forever Clean Soap Works 

FuzzyButz

Gallery on the Alley 

Glik's 

Grins of St. Joseph 

Harbor Town Interiors 

Jewelfire Diamond Center

Kilwins 

Krasl Art Center 

Lee & Birch 

Oh My Darlings 

Olive Cart

Perennial Accents 

Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra 

St. Joe Community Taproom 

Statements Style Lounge 

Waterfront House of Framing & Fashion

White Pine Winery 

Yours Truly, Elizabeth

 

2024 Small Business Saturday

Sat. November 30, 2024
9:00am - 5:00pm

Celebrate small businesses in Southwest Michigan! Local businesses are excited to welcome the community into their stores to find unique, one-of-a-kind merchandise. Small Business Saturday promotes shopping small to support your neighbors, family, friends and local economy.

  

2024 PARTICIPANTS - TBA

2024 Merry & Bright Weekend

Fri. December 06, 2024
- Sun. December 08, 2024
Start time not specified.

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 PARTICIPANTS: TBA

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In & Around St. Joseph Blog

2024 Spooktacular SWMI | October 8-31

October 7th, 2024

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.

2024 Fall Bucket List

September 30th, 2024

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

2024 September Love Local Weekend | September 20-22

September 17th, 2024

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

2024 Labor Day Weekend in SWMI | August 30-September 2

August 27th, 2024

Summer’s not over in Michigan’s Great Southwest! Keep reading to maximize your holiday weekend plans. This holiday weekend features everything from business anniversaries and sales to sun-filled beach days, a tri-state Regatta, a Farmers Market, an Artisan Fair and Antiques on the Bluff!

2024 August Love Local Weekend | August 16-18

August 13th, 2024

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, the Lake Bluff Artisan Fair 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.

Get ready for some frosty fun in St. Joseph! The 16th Annual Magical Ice Fest returns bigger and better than ever and packed full of family fun, ice competitions and even some frozen fish. Crowd favorites the Frozen Fish Toss, Ice Bowling and the Magical Ice Throne are back this year with a new interactive to try, Frosty Tic-Tac-Toe!

Get ready for some frosty fun in St. Joseph! The 16th Annual Magical Ice Fest returns bigger and better than ever and is packed full of family fun, ice competitions and even some frozen fish. Crowd favorites the Frozen Fish Toss, Ice Bowling and the Magical Ice Throne are back this year with a new interactive to try, Frosty Tic-Tac-Toe!

The Magical Ice Fest runs from Friday, January 31-Sunday, February 2 and is a great way to explore this charming lakeside town and celebrate the winter season!

 

A WEEKEND GUIDE FOR THE MAGICAL ICE FEST

All weekend long, there's a scavenger hunt, making for a frozen adventure! Participants will be on the lookout for items that have been frozen into blocks placed around town (pick up a map at the St. Joseph Today Welcome Center, located at 301 State Street). This SnowBiz Scavenger Hunt is fun for all ages and has its rewards too - turn in the form at the end and be entered to win a St. Joseph Gift Certificate.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

Kick off the weekend with The Silver Beach Carousel! Enjoy $1 rides during their Family Fun Night "Let's Flamingle!" from 4:00-8:30pm. FREE hourly drawings for bendable Flamingos and funky pink Drink Cups for ages 3-13.

Love fresh oyster? Head over to Silver Harbor Brewing as they host Oyster Night from 6:00-10:00pm! Attendees will enjoy the freshest oysters SHBC could find, hand crafted specialty sauces and live shucking with varieties from the East and West coasts.

Trivia lovers unite! Sister Lakes Brewing hosts their Team Trivia every THursday night from 7:00-9:00pm. The Buck Burgers & Brew hosts Soundcheck Music Match Bingo weekly on Thursdays at 7:00pm.

 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31

Ice Carvers begin revving their chainsaws for the Individual Competition on Friday at 5:30pm. Along Pleasant Street blocks of ice will be transformed into all sorts of awesome. The carvers will finish their icy creations at 7:30pm, when the attention turns to warming up...

At 7:30pm, guests are in for a treat with a downtown Fire & Ice Tower. To make this happen, a large tower of ice is packed with firewood. We light it, and it becomes a unique site for all - a breathtaking bonfire (a little bit of ice and fire magic).

Things heat up below the bluff at the Fire & Ice Party held at Shadowland on Silver Beach. This event begins at 8:00pm and goes until midnight, and features an ice martini luge and dance performance with literal flames! Guests 18 and older are welcome. A $10 ticket covers entry, pizza from Silver Beach Pizza, Zick's Sticks and entertainment. Bring cash for drinks!

INSIDER TIP: This event sell out, get your ticket early!

The Livery hosts Toxic Trivia, an adult themed version of their popular team trivia! Grab some delectable food and tasty brews as you settle in for a night of fun.

Twin City Players presents Savannah Sipping Society, January 31 through February 16. Catch this laugh-a-minute comedy about four unique Southern women all needing to escape the day-to-day routines. Shows will be held on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm.

 

 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Ice Teams assemble! The Team Competition for ice carvers begins at 8:00am and State Street will come alive with icy fun. This carving and creating will go on until 4:00pm and involves an epic eight blocks of ice for each sculpture. It's awesome to watch the progress of the teams throughout the day.

The fun continues downtown throughout the day!

For active ice-seekers, start your day off with the 7th Annual Ice Fest Chocolate 5k Walk/Run, beginning at 9:00am! This timed run is the perfect way to explore downtown St. Joseph (and warm up a little, too!). 

After your run, challenge your friends and family to the Frozen Fish Toss, Ice Bowling or NEW for 2020 - Frosty Tic-Tac-Toe! For just $1, toss three frozen fish at a cornhole board or $1 for two tries to knock down 10 pins, or $1 for game of tic-tac-toe. All three interactives are open from 11:00am-4:00pm.

If you're look for a toastier fun, there's a lot for families to do indoors. Bring your flip-flops for a Hula-Hoopla below the bluff at the Silver Beach Carousel! It's Waikiki Weekend at the Silver Beach Center. The spin of the carousel evokes balmy breezes for riders, and there's even a free hula show at both 1:30pm and 3:00pm.

Above the bluff, it's a great time to explore our shops and restaurants. From unique Michigan-made goods to kitchen essentials to boutique clothing to handcrafted treats, there's something for everyone in downtown St. Joe!

Catch the Magic Tour (putting the "Magical" in Ice Fest!) throughout downtown St. Joseph on Saturday, too. John Dudley will be at the St. Joseph Library at 11:30am, outside St. Joseph Today at 1:00pm, at Curious Kids' Museum at 2:30pm and at Shadowland on Silver Beach at 4:00pm! All shows are free.

INSIDER TIP: Curious Kids' Museum hosts their weekly
Super Saturday, this week's theme "Magical Ice Fest". 

Attendees can enjoy winter themed crafts before and
after the magic show!

Take the Berrien County Polar Plunge Saturday afternoon at Watermark Brewing in Stevensville, MI. Plungers will jump into a pool of ice cold water to raise funds for Special Olympics Michigan. Registration begins at Noon followed by the plunge at Noon!

To round out the day, an event not to be missed is Ice Wars. This exciting competition is located at State and Pleasant Streets and kicks off at 4:30pm. Ice Wars features pro-carvers dueling it out in 15 minute bouts of ice-carving chaos, judged by the crowd. Chainsaws and a crowd vote - what could be better?!

INSIDER TIP: Arrive on the scene early as this event gets
packed and those up front will have the best views.

 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

If cold conditions remin through the weekend, Sunday offers a great opportunity to enjoy downtown St. Joseph and all the sculptures created during the festival. Many stores and restaurants will be offering the perfect place to warm up while enjoying the icy art. (Great way to get out before Super Bowl activities start later in the day)

INSIDER TIP: There's still time to complete the SnowBiz Scavenger
Hunt, so swing by the Welcome Center to pick up a form and

drop it off at the Welcome Center by 5:00pm! 

Tapistry Brewing in Bridgman, MI hosts their annual Chili Cook-Off and Super Bowl Watch Party from 5:00-11:00pm! $5 suggested donation for a tasting bowl and one ticket to vote for your favorite. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society.

Bowling fans will have the chance to show off their skills during Kelley's Bowl Super Bowl Trios Bowling Tournament from Noon-3:00pm! Entries sell quickly so make sure to reserve your spot today.

Join Lazy Ballerina Winery for their 5th Annual Wine & Girl Scout Cookie Pairing from Noon-4:00pm. Enjoy four different classic Girl Scout cookies paired with four different Lazy Ballerina wines! Open to the public; no reservations required but please note there are limited quantities. 

INSIDER TIP: The Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana
will be onsite selling cookies all day long - while supplies last!

Southwest Michigan offers some great opportunities to see live music at local wineries, breweries and coffee shops! Check out these spots for live music this Sunday:

Dablon Winery - Mark Ficks from 2:30-5:30pm
Forté Coffee - Twin City String Band at 3:00pm
Vineyard 2121 - The Backsliders at 2:00pm

We hope you find all the frosty fun this weekend! Learn more about upcoming events in Southwest Michigan at stjoetoday.com/events or follow St. Jospeh Today on Facebook.

 

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