Schmeckenfest is Thursday in LG

Parade

La Grange’s biggest Christmas festival, Schmeckenfest, returns for the 16th year this Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5-8 p.m. around the courthouse square.

We asked La Grange Main Street manager Caleb Parks what people need to know about this year’s event. Here are the highlights:

The parade will get started around 5:15 p.m. and it will travel along Colorado St, around the square, and then end on Washington St.

After the parade will be the Snowball Drop on the Washington St. side of the Courthouse. There will also be performances by the La Grange High School German Folk Dance Team as well as the La Grange Roadrunners Club.

Wassail

There are 32 Wassail Booths this year. You can vote for your favorite Wassail by using the QR Code in the event map, or on the booth numbers that you’ll find at each booth. You can use your phones’ camera to scan the code, which will pull up our voting form for Best Leaded and Unleaded Wassail. Votes are only counted if they are submitted between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. so make sure you vote in that time frame.

Activities

For kids activities, Camp Lone Star will once again set up their rock wall, as well as Gaga Ball. Friends of La Grange Railroad Depot will be setting up a train that kids can ride in the parking lot on Washington St, behind the Gazebo. There will also be Christmas Ornaments, Smores, Face Painting, and more being offered by various community groups. And, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be present at the Gazebo as usual.

Vendors

Parks added that “We would also encourage guests to bring some cash with them so they can support our local nonprofit groups. There will be 18 food/drink booths this year, so we want to make sure there’s enough support for them to go around.”

– Jeff Wick