Walk down Main Street in St. Charles, Missouri, in October and you may face a mob of Angry Villagers. A dead poet. A fiddle-playing plague doctor. But don’t worry. It’s all in good, spooky fun.
Founded in 2016, the Legends & Lanterns® festival is an annual celebration of all things macabre.
“Legends & Lanterns® is a family-friendly (but not childish) event that looks at All Hallow’s Eve through a historic lens,” said Ryan Cooper, festival creator and director.
Visitors are greeted by more than 30 famous villains, witches and ghouls from literature and folklore, ranging from Lizzie Borden to Bigfoot.
A few frights (and plenty of fun) await at Legends & Lanterns, a free festival in Historic St. Charles. Photo courtesy Legends & Lanterns.
“Like a Halloween ren faire, guests get to be drawn into these characters’ stories — and their never-ending struggle against bumbling monster hunters in the area,” Cooper said.
Along the way, you’ll find special activities, historical exhibits and shows, all with free admission.
“For the history buff, you’ll find a Victorian mourning museum in our KATY Train Depot, a salute to the sci-fi flicks and monster movies of the 1950s, and exhibits on gargoyles and carnivorous plants, as well as a self-guided tour around the spooky sites of Main Street,” Cooper said.
The Plague Doctor performs for guests. Photo courtesy Legends & Lanterns.
Cooper recommends making the most of your visit by picking up a free festival passport as soon as you arrive for a complete schedule of daily activities, like Ghost Writing 101 (led by Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe), Torch Songs with the Angry Villagers and the end of the day Jam-BOO-ree.
With its long, rich history, the self-guided St. Charles Haunted History tour is worth the time. Founded as a trading post in the late 1700s, St. Charles was the site of Missouri’s first state capitol and a significant stop on Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery. Centuries-old buildings along tree-lined, brick-paved streets make Main Street St. Charles a fitting setting for an All Hallow’s Eve celebration.
“With the autumn leaves and vintage Halloween décor, you will feel like you are in a fairy tale,” Cooper said.
Meet your favorite characters from fairy tales, movies and more this October in St. Charles. Photo courtesy Legends & Lanterns.
Dates for this year’s event are Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 23-25. Visit Discover St. Charles for event hours.
Interested in learning more about Main Street St. Charles? Check out the Macabre Main Street tour. Learn more in our roundup of ghost hunting, haunted tours and paranormal experiences in Missouri.
Editor’s Note: Featured photo at top courtesy Legends & Lanterns Festival.
Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.
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