St. Louis is twinkling a bit brighter this holiday season as Anheuser-Busch ignites its nostalgia-inducing "Flying Eagle" sign, perched along Interstate 64, to signal the start of citywide festivities. According to KSDK, the eagle's neon-turned-LED wings began their ethereal flap as the sun dipped below the horizon yesterday, serving as a historical beacon that has overlooked the city since its relocation in 1962.
In the same generous swoop of holiday spirit, the brewing giant is relaunching the treasured St. Louis Lager as a draft-only treat, with an eye towards philanthropy as a portion of its proceeds will support the St. Louis Area Foodbank's holiday meals program, Anheuser-Busch announced; culminating in a Giving yesterday event where local icons, the Budweiser Clydesdales, will strut through the city in celebration, the event doubling as a charitable spectacle and harking back to the company's deep regional roots.
Beyond lighting up highways and hearts, Anheuser-Busch is set to reintroduce its Brewery Lights event, a now 39-year tradition bringing forth new experiences for attendees from November 22 through December 30, as noted in their holiday initiative press release. The company's conscious efforts to bolster St. Louis' economic welfare is evident through their substantial investment in the St. Louis campus and nearly $1 million in donations to local nonprofits this year; illustrating a dynamic where corporate presence actively seeks to uplift its host community.
Even though the giant eagle shadowing over I-64 has had its fair share of outages and renovations with bulbs switching from incandescent to the magic of LEDs as Fox2Now reported, Anheuser-Busch calls the sign a "time-honored symbol of economic prosperity in St. Louis."