It’s 11 o’ clock on a weekend. Children are running together, laughing. Couples strolling together, window shopping. Friends sitting together, chatting. There is a wedding at the Conservatory. For the regulars of Historic Saint Charles this is a common occurrence. Everything is as it should be. But yet…something is different. It is around this time of year that people begin thinking of Santa, Sugarplum Fairies and Jack Frost. ‘Tis the season of merriment, laughter and love. And that is why these people are here.

Christmas on Main is a time-honored tradition in Saint Charles, beginning 18 years ago. Starting out with just a chestnut roaster and a single Santa, shop owners felt there was something lacking. Today it has grown into Santas from every era and country greet visitors. Scrooge is bah-humbugging anyone that will listen. Jack Frost is sneering “Season’s freezings” at passersby. Carolers gather crowds of people to hear their sweet harmonics of familiar carols.

‘Tis the season to be jolly… 

Who else has reason to be jolly if not Serenity, the Christmas Angel? She walks Main Street wearing her angelic dress and pristine white angel wings. “Merry Christmas!” she giggles. “Do you know how God picked which angel to show the way to Mary and Joseph? He put all the angels names in a halo, and reached his great big hand in and pulled out a name. Do you know whose name he picked out? I do! He picked mine!” she says, twirling on her heel to convey her excitement. But not everybody feels as ecstatic as she does. An older man walking by shakes his head.         “What are you high on?” he asks. “Wacky tobaccy?”

“Oh no! I’m high on heaven!” she exclaims, throwing her arms in the air, earning herself a few more chuckles from shoppers.

For the actors, this is something that comes with the job description. They don’t break character. They know how to handle downers, too-cool kids, and the occasional wary grandparents.

“[Christmas on Main] brings family spirit, and a friendly atmosphere,” booking director Laura Coppinger said. “You can’t not smile and say Merry Christmas. It might be cold but it still makes people feel Christmas spirit. You feel unity and laughter. Lots of laughter. Even teenagers.”

Four directors and a committee of volunteers come together to help plan the event, starting in July by figuring out which of the actors of the previous year will be returning. Once that has been determined, they hold auditions for the remaining positions by asking hopefuls to sing a carol or tell their favorite Christmas story. Any fan of the holiday season can be a part of this joyful event.

Children and adults alike share an interest in gathering the 29 collectible cards that the actors hand out with their pictures and character’s history. But the characters won’t simply hand them over.
Julenisse begins to hand a card to a young girl, but yanks it back. “Have you been good all year?”
The girl nods.

He begins to hand it to her but takes it back again. “Were you good in February?”

“Yes,” she says, smiling now.

He starts to hand it to her yet again only to take it back, “What about February 30?”

“Of course!” she exclaims, giggling like mad.

“No you were not! There is no such thing as February 30! You just lied to Santa!”

She is confused, her eyes wide. He hands her a card with a chuckle and a “Merry Christmas.” To the adults nearby he laughs and says “It’s very funny,” in his Scandinavian accent.

It is 1:30 p.m. The town crier can be heard ringing his bell, walking down the middle of the cobblestone street. He twirls and shouts “Merry Christmas to you all!” with his cloak billowing out behind him. He stops his movement, hands behind his ears until he hears the reply. He smiles and continues on his way.

Close behind in the “Santa Parade” comes marching the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum corps, who have been playing for Christmas on Main for ten years. They no longer play their traditional music from 1804. They have instead switched to Christmas carols. As they march, the fife major turns to his corps members, “Deck the Halls! Drums roll off,” and begin playing as they march.

Jack Frost makes his way along behind the corps. In his hand he holds his painters brush and paints he uses to decorate windows and leaves with beautiful frost designs. As he walks he looks to the crowd with his lip curled. “Chilling to see you,” he says. Behind her dutiful worker follows the Snow Queen. Wrapped in her white-as-snow coat, she walks along the Main Street cobblestones, acting as chilly as her name.

The international Santas follow suit. They march along one by one, waving their hands and their nation’s flags. Sweden. Italy. France. Britain. Germany. America. Scandinavia. The last Santa in line points to a man along the parade route wearing a Christmas tree hat. “I like your hat,” he says from beneath his snow-white beard. “It’s a little loud but it works!”     

Then comes the two loudest, most cheerful people in attendance. Serenity the Christmas angel and the Sugarplum Fairy. They twirl, dance and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. “Who loves Christmas? On three, say sugar! One, two, three, sugar!” she shouts. “Sugar? That’s me!” Giggling she twirls away in a flash of color. Clara and her Nutcracker prince follow behind arm in arm, laughing quietly to themselves at the antics.
The cast of “A Christmas Carol” make their way down the street to wave and wish everyone a Happy Christmas. Even Scrooge can be seen smiling faintly.

Some twenty Victorian carolers follow.

Hark the herald angels sing…

Finally, a horse-drawn carriage rattles forward. Pulled in the white carriage is the Victorian Mr. and Mrs. Clause along with the child that won the ride with Santa. They all wave to the onlookers, the lucky child looking slightly sheepish at all the attention.

After the parade, the shoppers go back to shopping, the kids go back to collecting and the actors go back to spreading holiday cheer. The characters will be here for the rest of the month on weekends, Wednesdays, Fridays and again on Christmas Eve – living in their created world of make-believe until it is closing time.

“It’s very fun for everybody,” Fife and Drum Corps member Dakota Rhoads said. “Kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, everyone enjoys music and plays along with the actors. It’s fun. It’s cold. It’s Christmas on Main!”