West County Center goes into the holidays with a new restaurant in Restaurant Village. Over the past several weeks it has added Urban Outfitters, Levi's, L'Occitane and Miss A, and Santa photos start Nov. 12. The Cheesecake Factory's opening on Tuesday, Nov. 10 caps all of that. The company closed its Chesterfield Mall location in August 2024, and its new spot is at 17 West County Center.
For anyone who lives in Des Peres or Town & Country, that makes the mall the busiest stop of the season. The two cities' own events fit around it, and most of them run on sign-up deadlines that close well before the event.
Two years from Chesterfield Mall to Restaurant Village
KSDK, reporting the St. Louis Business Journal's story, says the Cheesecake Factory closed its Chesterfield Mall restaurant in August 2024, before the mall was torn down to make way for Downtown Chesterfield. At the time, company officials said they hoped to come back once the new development was done. Since then the chain's only St. Louis-area restaurant has been at the Saint Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights.
The new location is at 17 West County Center, in the former McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks space in Restaurant Village. It's scheduled to open Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the company is hiring 280 people to staff it. The room will look different from the Chesterfield one. A company spokesperson told West Newsmagazine that it will have "our new herringbone flooring, walnut-clad ceilings, clusters of blown-glass light fixtures and a custom mural above the cook's line."
The opening is part of a lease announcement from last summer. On June 4, 2026, mall owner CBL Properties announced in a release that construction had started on the Cheesecake Factory and named a list of retailers coming to the mall later in the year. In that same release, CBL said West County Center draws more than 7.1 million visitors a year and is 98% occupied.
The stores that opened between June and October
Most of the stores CBL listed in June are open now. FOX 2's Studio STL reported on Oct. 23 that Urban Outfitters, Levi's, L'Occitane and Miss A had opened at West County Center "in the last few weeks." The rest of the year's changes arrived earlier or are still underway:
- POP MART opened its first Missouri store at the mall in early May. It sells designer toy characters and limited-edition collectibles.
- Foot Locker was listed as a recent opening in the June release.
- Perfumania was named in the same release as one of the grand openings planned for 2026.
- American Eagle Outfitters and Victoria's Secret are renovating their existing West County Center stores. CBL said the new versions would debut later in 2026.
There's also something new just down the road. CAVA opened on Sept. 17 at 12340 Manchester Road, according to St. Louis Magazine's openings tracker.
The mall's holiday calendar is already running
The mall's stocking giveaway has been running since Nov. 1. Santa photos start Nov. 12, two days after the Cheesecake Factory is scheduled to open.
| What | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Santa's $3,000 Stocking Giveaway | Nov. 1 to Dec. 22 | $3,000 in gift cards, given out as six weekly prizes |
| Photos with Santa | Nov. 12 to Dec. 24 | Packages start at $42 |
| Pet Photos with Santa | Mondays, Nov. 16 to Dec. 14 | Advance reservations recommended |
Santa's hours get longer as December goes on. From Nov. 12 through Dec. 10, he's in from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. From Dec. 11 through Dec. 17, weekday and Saturday hours run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday stays noon to 6. Hours from Dec. 18 to Christmas Eve vary, so check the photo vendor's booking calendar for those.
None of the mall events require you to sign up before a deadline. The city events do.
Des Peres runs its season through The Lodge, and the sign-ups close first
Des Peres Parks & Recreation runs its holiday events out of The Lodge, and the October 2026 city newsletter lists every date. Here's what's on it, in date order:
- Dive-In Movie, Friday, Nov. 13. Families watch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 while floating in The Lodge's indoor pool. Check-in and open swim start at 5:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 6 sharp. Tickets are $10 for members and residents and $15 for nonresidents, with a cap of 200 people. Signing up ahead is preferred, and any tickets left go on sale at the front desk starting at 5:45 that night. Water park tubes are first come, first served.
- North Pole Express, Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 to 11 a.m. A trackless train takes families to see Santa's live reindeer. There's a craft table at Santa's Workshop, story time with Mrs. Claus, and breakfast treats and warm drinks. Santa is there for visits and photos from 9 to 10:30. It costs $25 for members and residents and $30 for nonresidents. Everyone attending, kids included, has to register by Nov. 24.
- Holiday Lights Contest, sign up by Dec. 8. The fourth annual contest is free and open only to homes within Des Peres city limits. You can enter your own house or nominate a neighbor's. The categories are Classic Christmas, Winter Wonderland and Total Griswold. The public votes online Dec. 18 to 20, and the city awards four prizes plus yard signs for the winners. Prizes have to be picked up at The Lodge by Dec. 31. Entry details are on the city's contest page.
- New Year's Eve at Noon, Thursday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Lodge Indoor Pool counts down to noon with a giant beach ball drop, plus the wave pool, the indoor slide and music. Every youth guest takes home a beach ball, and The Lodge Café is open the whole time. It costs $10 for members and residents and $15 for nonresidents. Everyone attending must register online by Dec. 29, and the city says the event will sell out.
The Nov. 24 deadline is the one to watch. North Pole Express registration closes 11 days before the event and the same week as Thanksgiving.
Town & Country has the afternoon of Dec. 5
Town & Country's two big holiday events are both at city parks along Clayton Road.
The Turkey Trot is Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, at 9 a.m. at Longview Farm Park, 13525 Clayton Road. Course, registration and fee details are on the city's event listing.
Winterfest is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Town Square, 13360 Clayton Road. Details are on the Winterfest calendar entry.
Dec. 5 is the busiest day of the season in these two cities. Des Peres' North Pole Express ends at 11 a.m., and Town & Country's Winterfest starts two hours later. A family can ride the trackless train to Santa's reindeer in the morning, have lunch, and get to Town Square by 1. Des Peres charges nonresidents $5 more per person for the North Pole Express.
The dates that decide the season
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Cheesecake Factory scheduled to open | 17 West County Center |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Santa photos begin | West County Center |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Dive-In Movie | The Lodge Indoor Pool |
| Mon., Nov. 16 | First Pet Photos with Santa night | West County Center |
| Tue., Nov. 24 | North Pole Express registration closes | The Lodge, Des Peres |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Turkey Trot, 9 a.m. | Longview Farm Park |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | North Pole Express, 9 to 11 a.m. | The Lodge, Des Peres |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Winterfest, 1 to 5:30 p.m. | Town Square, Town & Country |
| Tue., Dec. 8 | Holiday Lights Contest entries close | Des Peres |
| Dec. 18 to 20 | Holiday lights voting | Online |
| Tue., Dec. 29 | New Year's Eve at Noon registration closes | The Lodge, Des Peres |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | New Year's Eve at Noon, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | The Lodge Indoor Pool |
The Dive-In Movie is the only Des Peres event that lets you walk up on the night, and only if tickets are left. The North Pole Express, the Holiday Lights Contest and New Year's Eve at Noon all have registration deadlines of Nov. 24, Dec. 8 and Dec. 29.
If you're entering the Holiday Lights Contest, or just want to know what your home is worth before the new year, we'd love to help. Chris & Kait Real Estate Team can send you a quick, no-pressure number. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and we'll see you at Town Square on the 5th.
