ALTON - Middletown neighbors once again came together to celebrate Twelfth Night with carols, cookies and a bonfire.
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On Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, residents from the Middletown neighborhood in Alton gathered at Haskell Park. The Alton Fire Department burned donated live Christmas trees, and community members snacked on cookies and wassail. Organizers also announced the Three Kings of Middletown, honoring community members who have gone above and beyond in the neighborhood this past year.
“It’s an opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate the close of the Christmas season,” said Alice Stirton, who helped organize the event. “These are the things that make communities great places to live.”
The Twelfth Night celebration honors the Feast of the Epiphany, or the Feast of the Wise Men. The event started inside the Lucy Haskell Playhouse, where refreshments were served, and then attendees sang Christmas carols as the Alton Fire Department lit the bonfire.
Stirton noted that this year’s Three Kings of Middletown are “community pillars” who do a lot to support Middletown and Alton. This year’s kings are Steve Sands, Ben Hollis and Carson Bailey.
Sands is a parishioner at St. Mary’s who contributes to the Middletown Neighbors Association, the Lucy Haskell Playhouse, and the Alton Muny Band. Hollis is a co-owner and baker at Duke Bakery who has lived in Middletown since the 1990s. Bailey leads the Middletown Neighbors Association alongside his wife, who he met at Schwegel’s.
Stirton commended the Three Kings, who have “done a ton for the neighborhood.” She noted that there were several nominees this year, and all of these individuals help build connections in Middletown. Stirton is proud to live in a neighborhood where community is a top priority.
“All these people who are nominated, the way that they live their own life has spilled over into the community in such a wonderful and unique way,” she added. “It’s what makes communities different and so much fun.”
This community was on display during Twelfth Night. Stirton encourages Alton residents to mark their calendars for next year’s celebration, which promises to be equally fun and touching.
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