Event

Saint Louis Krampusnacht 2014

Performing artists:
Footlong Frank
Mimi Le Yu
Chris Barnhart
Will Spencer
Meg-a-legs
Indie-Lou
Craig Mayhem
Bam Bam Bambie
Blyre Cpanx
Scarlett Sinferno
Lola van Ella
Roxy Red Rockets
Cap'n Marrrk

Naughty girls and boys, beware. The dreadful Krampus is coming to St. Louis! He's bringing his beastly friends to Cherokee Street on Dec. 6, 2014, to punish every wicked soul they find.

Amid the frigid Alpine peaks there dwells a legendary creature. Half man. Half devil. Krampus is the bogeyman of Christmas, the dark counterpart of Saint Nicholas. While kindly St. Nick rewards good children, the scary Krampus punishes the naughty.

Krampus festivals are common in parts of Austria, Germany and other European countries. Inspired by Alpine folklore, the festivals celebrate the region's cultural heritage. They are also good excuses to get drunk, dress up and party.

It is in that spirit that we are bringing this tradition to the Midwest.

Saint Louis Krampusnacht 2014 will be a dark holiday spectacle, a Mardi Gras for the Christmas season.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., there will be a pub crawl/Krampus Walk. We will meet at the Fortune Teller Bar, then proceed to several other bars on Cherokee Street. This will be combined with a Krampus Walk, featuring hairy Krampus monsters and female Perchten (another species of Germanic Christmas monster). We will have street performers and a giant 15-foot Krampus puppet. Saint Nicholas will be on hand to keep the creatures under controlor try to, at least.

After the Krampus Walk and pub crawl, Krampusnacht will continue inside the 2720 club with a Krampus pageant. This macabre variety show will include burlesque artists, fire performers, live musicians (maybe some dead ones) and all manner of deviltry and debauchery. To top it off, visitors can peruse a "Dark Christmas" art fair.