Hosted by Vision Carthage
Hometown Holidays
Merry Mondays
Get ready for Christmas in Carthage!
Vision Carthage is bringing families together for Merry Mondays in December! Each Monday evening leading up to Christmas Day, look forward to free festive events as part of our Hometown Holidays initiative!
Hometown Holidays
Mayor's Tree Lighting
Join us as we light up downtown with the Mayor! This year the buildings on the square will be outlined in lights. Make sure you stay for the Carthage Christmas Parade hosted by Skills USA. This year's theme is Christmas Kicks on Route 66!
Hometown Holidays
Candy Cane Hunt
On Monday, December 8, bring your baskets and holiday cheer to hunt for candy canes at Central Park in Carthage, MO. Find one of the special candy canes and you will win a prize. This is a FREE event for the community.
Hometown Holidays
S'mores with Santa
Join us at Kellogg Lake for an evening under the stars as we make s'mores over firepits, take pictures with Santa, create natural ornaments, go on a hay ride, and more!
This free event is made possible through a partnership with the Kellogg Lake Nature Center and Preserve and the Vision Carthage Hometown Holidays Committee.
Hometown Holidays
Festive Skate Night
Grab your gaudiest gear and roll into the holiday spirit! Join us for a FREE family skate night at the roller rink in Municipal Park.
Show off your ugliest Christmas sweater, skate to festive tunes, and make memories that are merry and bright!
Hometown Holidays
Tamale Thursday
Get ready to spice up your holiday season! Join us on the square for Tamale Thursday on Dec. 11, a friendly (but deliciously fierce) tamale competition that brings together the boldest flavors in town!
Stroll the twinkling lights, sample mouthwatering tamales, and vote for your favorites as local chefs, home cooks, and tamale masters go head-to-head for bragging rights!
Bring your friends, bring your appetite, and bring your holiday cheer - this is one festive showdown you won't want to miss!
Hometown Holidays
Date Night Downtown
Vision Carthage is teaming up with Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre to bring you a cozy, festive evening downtown!
Local performers will share a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” along with a musical medley of Christmas classics for a FREE evening of entertainment you won't want to miss!
Hometown Holidays
Sip & Be Merry!
Get ready to jingle and mingle at our holiday pop-up bar: Spirit of the Square! Step inside this over-the-top festive wonderland packed with twinkling lights, tinsel galore, and holiday cheer on tap. Sip merry-themed cocktails, snap photos in our decked-out spaces, and soak up all the cozy, Christmas-y vibes. Whether you’re naughty, nice, or somewhere in between — this limited-time holiday spot on the square is the place to sleigh your evening with friends or that special someone!
Experience the Magic...
© 2026 Vision Carthage | Photos by Holmes Photography | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions