Legends & Lanterns®: A “Spirited” Journey through Halloween History is an annual family-friendly festival in Saint Charles. This unique celebration features an array of infamous villains, witches, and spirits from history and literature who have made Main Street St. Charles their latest “haunt”. Participate in antics with the characters, watch daily programming, explore historical exhibits, and enjoy the ambiance of Main Street in autumn for three weekends in October.

Legends & Lanterns® includes seven days of fall fun. A Friday date is added on October 23 for Pumpkin Glow. The 2026 Legends & Lanterns® dates and times are:

Sat, 10/10:     11am to 6pm

Sun, 10/11:    Noon to 5pm

Sat, 10/17:     11am to 6pm

Sun, 10/18:    Noon to 5pm

Fri, 10/23:      5pm to 8pm

Sat, 10/24:     11am to 8pm

Sun, 10/25:    Noon to 5pm ​

There’s no shortage of fall fun at Legends & Lanterns® in St. Charles, MO. Meet your favorite characters, explore historical exhibits, catch entertaining shows and concerts, shop local, capture cute photo-ops, and more. With so much to see and do, Legends & Lanterns® is a must on your St. Charles fall itinerary. For a detailed list of things to do, visit the Legends & Lanterns® activities page on our website.

Legends & Lanterns® is free for all to attend. No tickets or reservations are required.

Free parking in St. Charles is located at the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum parking lot, on Historic Main Street*, on Riverside Dr, and in the parking lot in between Main Street and Riverside Dr. Parking in the City Hall parking garage is free all day on Saturdays and Sundays and after 3 PM on weekdays. Check the St. Charles Parking App (PARKSTC) to find open parking spaces before you arrive.

*Please note that Main Street is closed to vehicular traffic from Boone’s Lick Road to Jefferson Street during Pumpkin Glow (October 23-24).

Legends & Lanterns® is a spooky, not scary, Halloween festival. Perfect for visitors of all ages, it offers plenty of family-friendly Halloween fun without the fright.

Legends & Lanterns® is an all-weather event. In the event of rain, characters may be relocated to interact with guests under overhangs and umbrellas. Some festival attractions may be relocated or altered. In the event of severe weather or lightning, programming will pause and the characters will take shelter until the inclement weather has passed. It’s the perfect time to grab a meal at a local restaurant and browse local shops to stay out of the rain.

Legends & Lanterns® is dog friendly. Several restaurants allow dogs on their patios, but it is up to the individual businesses if they are allowed inside. Many water bowls for pups can be found along Main Street. Check out our pet friendly blog for more information.

While guests are welcome to get into the spirit of the season with family-friendly costumes that don’t impede their vision or ability to traverse the historic district, for the safety of all of our visitors, individuals who are in costume should not conduct themselves in a way that could potentially confuse guests into believing they are a part of the official Legends & Lanterns® festival programming (i.e. setting up in a location/encouraging fellow guests to take pictures with them, passing out candy/trinkets/literature, engaging with guests “in character” like an interactive performer, etc.)

Horse drawn carriages that appear in the historic district during Legends & Lanterns® are not operated by the festival. Guests who are interested in price, hours of operation, location of carriages, etc. should contact the provider, American Queen Carriage Company, directly at 314-541-2229. 

The cornstalks will be set up on the gas lamp posts by opening day of Legends & Lanterns®, Saturday, October 10.

Find more information online on the Discover St. Charles and Legends & Lanterns® Instagram and Facebook accounts and our webpage and in person at the Tourism Center at 230 S Main Street. Pick up a free Legends & Lanterns® passport during the festival for character biographies, in-depth festival information, and more.