Winter is a time often associated with the holiday season; thus, holiday music tends to top the charts. However, if you search deeper, there’s plenty of winter music that doesn’t fit into the typical holiday trope. Here’s my list of essential winter albums and songs, varied in sound and feel, that are sure to get you in the winter spirit.

Fall songs are accompanied by a depth of storytelling that showcases this type of reflection — bonus points for any song that includes references to the fall season.

The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race, an annual city tradition that involves the whole community, serves as a welcoming invitation to fall in St. Louis. It is a community-orientated event, filled with enthusiasm and good energy that makes way for the St. Louis community to come together each year for something that is both beautiful and widely sentimental to residents.