I don't know why I've never been to this festival until this year. Maybe the very strange…read morepromotional art? I thought it was going to be very hippie, and it was in a way, but it brought out a lot of people...and not all of them were hippies. I do love the idea though: arts and crafts through upcycled material...how much cooler is that? Getting there is somewhat of a pain because Highway 50 narrows down to one lane each way when you get close to the park. Add to that Oktoberfests galore, and you have a very nice recipe for "traffic jam". Everyone parks everywhere, but surprisingly enough, parking wasn't that big of a deal. It is really a family thing too. They have arts and crafts for the kids, indie bands playing, lots of picnic tables set up with the usual assortment of fair foods, an alpaca petting zoo, and of course, Girl Scouts selling cookies. But the booths themselves are the showcase, and the media is quite varied, even though I heard a booth owner complain, "It is so hard nowadays to be original." She was selling wire jewelry, so I guess I can see her point. And really, my favorite booths are really the unique ones like Beqi Clothing and Newberry Furniture. The Newberrys repurpose old wood for new stuff...their current thing consists of Adirondack chairs made from an old barn. And Beqi takes vintage clothing and changes it all around..she has quite the gift. The whole thing is pretty big, and it really does impress me that there are so many craftsters in the area.

The Strange Folk Festival is the COOLEST shopping festival I've ever attended. The wares are the…read moresort of thing you'd find on Etsy. Great place to get Christmas and birthday gifts. From what I understand, artisans come from all over the US to sell at this event. There is a huge variety and it's so much fun. Cool crowd too. I only wish it was a regular fixture rather than once a year in one place. 17/100 Yelp Challenge 2015

So disappointed!! This is not the same Eckert's. It feels overly commercialized and everything is…read moreoverpriced. They nickel-and-dime you for everything--$20 to pick 10 tulips, another $20 just to ride the wagon to look at them. Lunch in the restaurant was also really disappointing--definitely not the home-cooked quality it used to be. Sadly, we won't be back

An old family farm...which has a restaurant, general store....and at certain times of the…read moreyear.....will be a destination to pick apples, pumpkins etc. Whether kids or adults...everyone will love this place. Food is pretty darn good. A homemade apple walnut salad with homemade dressing. What a start to the meal. Fried chicken is great. Pot pie is great. All the food really hits the spot. Market is darn big. Fresh corn when it comes in grown at the farm. A really great place to spend afternoon.

A nice alternative to some of the bigger and more popular orchards around St. Louis and across the…read moreriver in Illinois, Braeutgam Orchards is definitely a place you'll want to visit in the Fall for your annual pumpkin and apple picking traditions. Crowds were manageable and any line we stood in (whether it was for the tractor to take us to the orchard or in the bakery to buy goods) didn't take long to go through. Loved that there was no additional fee to ride the tractors to the orchards. The one downside is that while there is a bakery, there is no food stall to buy lunch or snacks like chips or hot dogs. If you plan on spending a portion of your day there, you'll want to be sure to bring a cooler with food. We made the mistake of assuming there would be things to buy for lunch and we left starving after snacking on a couple of apple cider donuts.

What a great place to take the kids. Apple picking, pumpkin patch, feeding the animals and eating…read moreat the food truck to wrap up the Saturday. The staff were nice and friendly. The wagon ride drivers were nice and did stop the wagon when requested by one of the guest since a kid drop his water bottle. For next year. I would definitely come earlier in the apple picking season.

I came by Craft Alliance before the holidays looking for some cute ornaments. Their selection of…read moreglass blown ornaments is beautiful and kept my tree very pretty. The people working there were very nice and helpful in teaching me about the artist and pointing out other items that might be of interest. I plan to keep these for years to come!

Took a blacksmithing class led by Andrew. We made ladles!!! It was an awesome experience and Andrew…read morewas very helpful and informative throughout the experience!!!

When I was young, I participated in an annual music Nativity pageant, the opening lyrics of which…read moresummarize my question on approach to WoL. " "Over dusty roads so dreary ... they had wandered and were weary ... would they find a lodging cheery ... some friendly place of warmth and li-i-i-ight"? The answer is "Yes." WoL is a place of cheery holiday warmth and, obviously, light. I wouldn't describe it as the "best ever," and thought that the light seemed a little thin and too monochromatic in places. But I'd do it again just for the tunnel near the beginning. Thanks, WoL, for spreading needed Christmas cheer.

My husband and I made our yearly trip to Way of Lights last night. If you've never been or it's…read morebeen awhile, I highly recommend it. They've added color lights to make things even more amazing with the drive through light display. In the church parking lot, there are camel rides, donkey rides, pony rides, petting zoo, and kettle corn. In the visitor center, they have a wonderful gift shop, Christmas tree displays, wreath auction, quilt raffle, a fabulous Lego Brick Display, and a new must see Interactive Arctic Mission Exhibit. The food stand offers hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, nachos, chili, etc for a very reasonable cost. As left we got our yearly Build a Bear animal-- a donkey this time -- for a minimum $17 donation. Highly recommended for all ages!

Really like the basement bar scene here with a selection of cigars and the only place I know of…read morethat smoking is permitted inside. Different nights have different entertainments. Nice stiff drinks to be enjoyed by all.

Belleville is full of surprises. This downstairs bar and lounge always has great music, upscale…read moredrinks and of course the best selection of cigars around. If you don't know what you want, they are very helpful in offering suggestions. If you are an avid smoker, I'm sure they have what you like as well. Come in and relax and have a great time or venture outside they'll serve you out there too !!!

With all the money they charge after the pandemic (cost has doubled), you would think that they…read morewould provide better support for weekend and pay issues. It's amazing that they can have your service cut off during the weekend and force you to wait until Monday to restore service. IL Am Water won't restore without the approval of sewer who only works M - F, so if freezing weather is coming, you're just out of luck, just pray that your pipes don't freeze. Trash and water should be totally separate. Reality is nobody earns their pay anymore. Sad!

City of Belleville- A good place to live. School district is good, great local small businesses, it…read moreboasts a old eclectic almost historical movie theatre in the downtown area, with restaurants, and bars. Belleville is good for nightlife, arts, and festivals. Come check out the annual chili cook-off, Art on the Square, Eckert's orchard, and the Fairgrounds. The city has public transportation, three MetroLink stops, and Lindenwood college campus.