ST. LOUIS — We are just nine days away from Christmas and families are making their rounds to see the dazzling light displays. One of the time-honored traditions is put on by Anheuser-Busch.
The beautiful Clydesdales walk proudly down Pestalozzi for the nightly Anheuser-Busch Brewery Lights display.
"You can see a pair of these guys hooked up to our stake wagon and they're going to be parading down the street,” Lauren Lambeth, a Clydesdale handler, said.
The parade route is usually 10 deep, so they stress to secure your spot before they step off at 7:30 p.m. The parade lasts for about 20 minutes.
"They're lined up elbow to elbow all the way down Pestalozzi Street,” said Scott Smith, with Brewery Experiences.
It's not just families who enjoy the experience.
"The horses obviously love the attention and it's really cool to see them all decorated with the Christmas lights and the bells,” said Lambeth.
Olaf was super friendly and is one of the younger Clydesdales. He stands 6-feet but their largest is Bud, who is over 7-feet tall.
The kids are amazed by the size of the Clydesdales.
"They want to know how heavy they are – these guys are about 2,000 pounds – and they talk about how big their feet are,” said Lambeth.
There are other new additions this year for all ages, like their Christmas tree bar.
“A functional bar, we are the only venue in Missouri that has something like this,” Smith said.
Thousands of lights are on that tree alone. The most popular stop for the kids is Winter Wonderland.
“Two 18-foot snowmen, there's a train that takes them through a Christmas Village and we top it all off with a glowing ice maze,” said Smith.
One of the newest and shop-stopping experiences is the 50-foot programmable Christmas tree.
"We have some of our favorite St. Louis teams on it, our Anheuser-Busch logo and during the show there are dancing candy canes as well. There's not much that tree can't do,” said Smith.
The Experience has become a St. Louis tradition.
“Thirty-seven years ago, we actually started decorating the brewery for the holidays and back in those days it was a drive-thru type experience,” said Smith.
Nine years ago, it all changed.
“We started the walking tour and really what I equate that to is Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory opening to the public because the brewery is such a magical place, an icon of St. Louis and its history,” Smith said.
The Brewery Lights continue this weekend and then Tuesday through Friday next week and the week leading to the New Year. The nightly parade with not only the Clydesdales but trolleys as well starts at 7:30 p.m. Guests must purchase tickets to attend the event.
Limited tickets were available for Friday night and Sunday, with Saturday sold out. You can find out about tickets for the remaining nights over the next two weeks by clicking here.