ST. LOUIS — You might say Santa Claus delivered an early Christmas presents to the St. Louis area in the form of spectacular weather everyone is talking about.
"We're really enjoying the nice, gorgeous weather, and we're excited about Christmas," said Joy Bradley, who basked in the sunshine with her 5-year-old daughter, Raenen, in Lafayette Park.
"It's just like a throwback to early fall, and to get it this late in the year is pretty nice," said Zane D'Keidek, who took his 2-year-old son to the park.
The Christmas Eve day was indeed "nice" for a galore of golfers, a wave of walkers and more to also flood Forest Park.
"This is a happy Christmas. Thank you from Santa Claus. I love Christmas," said a jubilant Raenen Bradley, who was decked out in her pink tutu.
As the kindergartner counted down to Christmas, her mom counted her blessings.
"I want a watch for Christmas and 10 Barbie dolls and a Barbie house," said Raenen.
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, holiday revelers are ready for lots of cheer, fun and great times with their loved ones.
Mike Lewer of Overland Park, Kansas, is spending the holiday with his family in St. Louis.
"We're just really grateful that we're able to be here, given what we've been through with the pandemic," he said.
The unseasonal, balmy 70-degree Christmas Eve was definitely a sweet surprise for everyone at Duke Bakery in Granite City, Illinois.
"It was our biggest Christmas ever," said Ben Hollis, the bakery's owner.
Hollis thinks the winter warmup shot up his Christmas Eve sales 40% compared to last year.
"It was really great weather to have kids out. People didn't have coats on. We saw more people in shorts today that we would have ever imagined," added Hollis.
Back at Lafayette Park in St. Louis, Raenen is still checking her list to make sure a special elf got it.
"I also want a JoJo Siwa necklace because I'm a fan of JoJo Siwa," she said.