The holidays are a time to honor traditions and build new memories with friends and loved ones. Callaway County, featuring Missouri’s Christmas City – Fulton, has an abundance of events that celebrate the spirit of the season.

Dec. 1-Jan. 1, 5pm -midnight: Festival of Lights & Field of Joy at Veterans Park, Fulton The 4th Annual Festival of Lights will have Christmas displays that will be lit on Friday, December 1 at 5:30pm and will stay lit every evening until January 1. The display is free and open to the public.

Dec. 1-2, Friday 4-7pm & Saturday 8am-3pm: Local & Global Fair Trade Christmas Market at First Presbyterian Church, Fulton. Enjoy a matchless shopping experience for the holidays featuring international fair trade foods and gifts, as well as locally made offerings. Food samplings both days.

Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, 4pm: DIY Christmas Candle Bar Class at the Barn House, Holts Summit Experience a super fun way to make your very own personal candle to either keep or gift this holiday season. Class is appropriate for ages 12 and older.

Dec. 1, 7-9pm: Santa Visits WWU at William Woods University, Fulton This year-end First Friday at The Woods features a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Enjoy treats, cocoa and crafts, and capture the moment with photos.

Dec. 2, 1-3pm: 74 th Annual Fulton Holiday Parade and Sneaky Snowman event in the Brick District, Fulton. This year’s parade theme is a Very Sweet Christmas. Line up begins at noon at the Missouri School for the Deaf and winds through the downtown Brick District. From 10am-3pm, merchants join the festivities by hiding a snowman in their shops. Find the sneaky snowman, and merchants will enter you for a chance to win a very special gift basket.

Dec. 3, 2-4pm and Dec. 7, 7-9pm: Callaway Singers: A Christmas Collage at the Brick District Playhouse, Fulton. Bring some special music into your holiday season. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. The evening performance also offers a cash bar for cocktails, mocktails and specialty drinks starting at 6 p.m.

Dec. 7, 5-9pm: Murder Mystery Dinner & Show on the Hill at Canterbury Hill Winery, Holts Summit. Just in time for the holidays, “It’s a Wonderful Death” is a mystery and a fabulous dinner rolled into one. Shows are often sold out, so call for reservations today.

Dec. 8-9, all day: “Nick of Time” Holiday Shopping at Brick District, Fulton. Wrap up your holiday shopping in the Brick District! Get your passports stamped at participating businesses for a chance to win one of two $50 Brick District gift certificates.

Dec. 9, 2pm: That 70s Christmas Parade in Holts Summit. Get your groove on and join us as we celebrate the City of Holts Summit's 50th anniversary!

Dec. 9, 6-9pm: Homegrown Holidays – Music by the Kay Brothers at the Brick District Playhouse, Fulton. The Kay Brothers & Guest Molly Healey's Homegrown Holidays Tour brings foot-stompin’, toe-tappin’ holiday tunes to the stage. Doors open at 6pm for cocktails, show starts at 7pm.

Dec. 10, 6-8pm: Festival of Lessons & Carols at America’s National Churchill Museum, Fulton. A holiday tradition for nearly 40 years, the Festival of Lessons and Carols fills the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury with ecclesiastical readings and soaring music.

Dec. 12, 5:30 pm-8:30pm: Sensory Friendly Santa at the Rec-Plex, Fulton. If your child is bewildered by the holiday’s bright lights, noisy crowds and boisterous music, this very special event is designed for you and yours: Santa without the spectacle courtesy of Fulton Parks & Recreation. REGISTRATION DEADLINE DEC. 4

Dec.16, 10 am-noon: Photo with Santa Paws at the YMCA, Fulton. Christmas is a holiday for the WHOLE family, so don’t leave the four-foots out. Get your pup and your children’s picture taken with Santa Paws. Photos are $10 each. Proceeds benefit Callaway County Humane Society.

So many different ways to celebrate the season, and they’re all right here. It’s Christmas the Callaway.