St. Louis Weekend Happenings: September 30 - October 2, 2016

Best of Missouri Market

Venture out to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the 25th annual Best of Missouri Market, an event that attracts more than 25,000 people annually. Over 120 vendors offer local flowers, food, baked goods, jewelry, and handmade goods over the course of three days. Enjoy live music, crafts, and kids' activities as you welcome the arrival of Fall.

October 1st and 2nd from 9am-5pm at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, with a special preview "First Look" on Friday night.

$12 adults (ages 13 and over)
$5 children (ages 3–12)
$5 Garden Members
Free Garden members' children (ages 3–12)

For more info:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/best-of-missouri-market.aspx 

Print the official 2016 program guide HERE.

11th Annual GroveFest

No one knows how to throw a street party like The Grove in St. Louis!  GroveFest is an eclectic street festival in the Grove, a vibrant commercial district  in St. Louis.  Last year the festival drew over 12,000 attendees, was likened to funky New Orleans street festivals, and was praised for the diversity in programming and turnout. This year’s GroveFest is the 11th annual, so they are going above and beyond with live music, kids' stations, amazing food, and more!

Saturday from 2-11pm in The Grove along Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer 

For more info:
http://www.thegrovestl.com/events/grove-fest/

Taste of Trucktober

Come celebrate food on wheels in West County, where the food is the STAR! This family-friendly festival hosts an array of gourmet food trucks including The Southerner, WingNut, Global Quesadilla, Cheese Shack, Pi, Cruizin, Fusion, Steak Louie, Sarah's Cakestop, Qlicious, and MORE!  Complete with live music, games, and karaoke... it is foodie fun for the whole family.

Saturday, October 1st from 12-5

FREE Admission

Chesterfield Amphitheater
631 Veterans Place Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63017

For more info:
http://www.trucktoberstl.com/


Shaw Neighborhood Art Fair

The Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association (SNIA) has hosted the very popular Shaw Art Fair each Fall since 1993. Located on the tree-lined parkway of beautiful Flora Place at Tower Grove Avenue, the Historic Shaw Art Fair is one of the premier fine art and fine craft fairs in the St. Louis area. It is highly rated by art fair magazines and participating artists. Roughly 135 top caliber artists and craftspeople from around the country are selected each year to participate in the professionally juried event.  You will also enjoy live music and local cuisine.

Saturday, October 1st from 9am to 5pm
Sunday, October 2nd from 10am to 5pm

Blocks of 4100-4200 Flora Place, St. Louis MO 63110

$7 per adult, which is good for admission to both days. Children 14 and under are free with an adult. Bring a non-perishable food item to receive $1 off admission—benefiting Isaiah 58 Ministries and Mount Olive Church.

For more info:
http://shawstlouis.org/attractions-amenities/historic-shaw-art-fair/

St. Louis Hidden Gem: Free Concerts Stl website

Summer 2016 is officially here, St. Louis...  

I swear, it seems like just yesterday that I drafted my Farewell to Summer 2015 post?!  Summer in Casa de Nenonen tends to be fairly hectic between work, travel, sports camps, scouting high adventures, and life.  That being said, we are never too busy for an evening of live music beneath the stars with friends.  

This week, Steve and I did our annual early-June hop online to choose some fun outdoor happenings for our family calendar. Our favorite comprehensive online resource is Free Concerts STL, as it is extremely easy to navigate for last-minute plans...

The site has everything from fairs and festivals to food truck events and free concerts.  It auto-defaults to the current day, making a last minute "I wonder what is going on tonight around town?" incredibly simple.  Check it out!

Connect with Free Concerts STL here:

WEB: http://www.freeconcertsstl.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/freeconcertsstl/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/freeconcertsstl

See my other local Hidden Gems HERE.

St. Louis Weekend Happenings: May 13 - 15, 2016

The weekend is almost upon us and check out this forecast, St. Louis...

If still making plans for the weekend, here are a few of the more notable happenings!

Sauce Food Truck Friday 

Tower Grove Park

Fri, May 13 at 4:00 pm

The 6th annual Sauce Food Truck Friday series in Tower Grove Park has begun! More than 20 trucks attend every second Friday of the month - May through October - for one of the best outdoor food events in St. Louis!

More info: http://foodtruckfriday.saucemagazine.com/

2016 Spirit of St. Louis Airshow presented by Boeing

May 14 – 15 from 9:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Watch and enjoy many amazing pilots including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Snowbirds including the CF-18 Hornet flight demonstration. Watch them perform some of their amazing flight maneuvers in an exciting aerial ballet across the sky. The event’s popular STEM Expo, presented by MasterCard, highlights the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives of academic, business and not-for profit institutions in the St. Louis area and inspires youth to pursue these important areas.

More info: http://spirit-airshow.com/

15th Annual Art on the Square in Downtown Belleville

May 13-15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Every spring, Art on the Square transforms downtown Belleville into an alfresco gallery, with 105 juried artists from all over the world. There’s also food, music, and a children’s art garden.

More info: http://artonthesquare.com/

St. Louis Weekend Happenings: October 16- 18, 2015

Boo at the Zoo Nights

Nightly, October 16-30, 2015
5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Explore the Zoo after dark during the special Halloween evenings: Boo at the Zoo Nights! This non-scary, kid-friendly Halloween experience is filled with laughs and adventure. Children are encouraged to wear costumes. Children 12-and-under will receive a treat bag upon exiting. Boo at the Zoo Nights is not a trick-or-treating experience.

$6/member; $7/non-member; children under 2 are free 
$1 discount for children 2 to 12 in costume

Parking is free - details on the website.

More info:  http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/booatthezoonights/

9th Annual Harvest Festival at Laumeier Sculpture Park
Sunday October 18
11am-5pm

Hosted by Sauce Magazine and Laumeier Sculpture Park, the 2015 Harvest Festival celebrates the best Autumn has to offer: delicious eats from St. Louis area restaurants, a farmers’ market featuring fresh local produce, arts and craft wares, family activities, live Bluegrass music and all of Fall’s splendor in Laumeier’s beautiful outdoor setting.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for Laumeier Members, and children ages 10 and under free. Buy tickets at the door or online

Laumeier Sculpture Park
12580 Rott Road
St. Louis, MO 63127

More info:  http://harvestfeststl.com/


The Great Schlafly Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, October 17
12:00pm - 7:00pm

Calling all beer lovers!  Think county fair meets pig roast meets a trip to the pumpkin patch as Schlafly kicks off the Fall season and the return of their popular seasonal Pumpkin Ale.Complete with live music, local vendor booths, family-activities, amazing cuisine, and tastinsg of unique ciders and harvest-time beers... a great time is guaranteed.

Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood
7260 Southwest Avenue

More info: 
http://schlafly.com/events/calendar/2015/10/17/schlafly-great-pumpkin-festival/

St. Louis Weekend Happenings: October 2- October 4, 2015

Best of Missouri Market

Venture out to the Missouri Botanical Garden for their popular Best of Missouri Market, an event that attracts more than 25,000 people annually. Over 100 vendors offer local flowers, food, baked goods, jewelry, and handmade goods over the course of three days. Enjoy live music, crafts, and kids' activities as you welcome the arrival of Fall.

October 3rd and 4th from 9am-5pm at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, with a special preview "First Look" on Friday night.

$12 adults (ages 13 and over)
$5 children (ages 3–12)
$5 Garden Members
Free Garden members' children (ages 3–12)

For more info:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/best-of-missouri-market.aspx 

Print the official 2015 program guide HERE.


Lemp Haunted Walking Neighborhood Tour

Everyone has heard of the infamous haunting of the Lemp mansion, but few know that the Lemp Mansion is one haunted house in a cluster of hauntings! Join members of the St. Louis Paranormal Research Society and walk through "America's Most Haunted Neighborhood" EVERY Friday night in October!  Hear the tragic history of the Lemp Family, learn the locations of two lost Lemp Neighborhood Cemeteries, and see the foundation stones of the first Lemp Mansion as you tour the area and they share other spooky tales ofmore haunted and historical locations along our tour route.

Every Friday, starting at 9pm. They meet inside the Lemp Mansion Museum. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours and is 3/4 miles in length. 

$20 per person. Refunds will be offered if we cancelled or rescheduled a tour, and tours will run rain or shine. 

For More info:
http://www.seeaghost.com/lemp-neighborhood-walk-tour.html


10th Annual GroveFest

No one knows how to throw a street party like The Grove in St. Louis!  GroveFest is an outrageously eclectic street festival in the Grove, a vibrant commercial district  in St. Louis.  Last year the festival drew over 12,000 attendees, was likened to funky New Orleans street festivals, and was praised for the diversity in programming and turnout. This year’s GroveFest is the 10th annual, so they are going above and beyond with live music, kids' stations, amazing food, and more!

Saturday from 2-10pm in The Grove along Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer 

For more info:
http://www.thegrovestl.com/events/grove-fest/

Taste of Trucktober

Come celebrate food on wheels in West County, where the food is the STAR! This family-friendly festival hosts an array of gourmet food trucks including Mission Taco, Pie Oh My, Pi, The Meltdown, Steak Louie, Sarah's Cakestop, Pyro Pizza, and MORE!  Complete with live music, games, and karaoke... it is foodie fun for the whole family.

Saturday, October 3rd from 12-5

FREE Admission

Chesterfield Amphitheater
631 Veterans Place Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63017

For more info:
http://www.trucktoberstl.com/


Shaw Neighborhood Art Fair

The Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association (SNIA) has hosted the very popular Shaw Art Fair each Fall since 1993. Located on the tree-lined parkway of beautiful Flora Place at Tower Grove Avenue, the Historic Shaw Art Fair is one of the premier fine art and fine craft fairs in the St. Louis area. It is highly rated by art fair magazines and participating artists. Roughly 135 top caliber artists and craftspeople from around the country are selected each year to participate in the professionally juried event.  You will also enjoy live music and local cuisine.

Saturday, October 3th from 9am to 5pm
Sunday, October 4th from 10am to 5pm

Blocks of 4100-4200 Flora Place, St. Louis MO 63110

$7 per adult, which is good for admission to both days. Children 14 and under are free with an adult. Bring a non-perishable food item to receive $1 off admission—benefiting Isaiah 58 Ministries.

For more info:
http://shawstlouis.org/attractions-amenities/historic-shaw-art-fair/

St. Louis Weekend Happenings: October 3 - 5

The weekend forecast is amazing, St. Louis! Grab the family and enjoy one of the many family-friendly events going on in the Metro.

Food Truck Friday sponsored by Sauce Magazine

This is your last opportunity to enjoy the 4th season of Food Truck Friday in Tower Grove Park with music by Miss Jubilee. 

Friday, October 3 from 3:30 to 7

Tower Grove Park
4256 Magnolia Ave
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Truck lineup and more info can be found HERE.

Oktoberfest at Union Station

Munich on the Mississippi!  Oktoberfest at Union Station offers two stages featuring live performances showcasing German culture throughout the day and night. The main stage features live music by the likes of 20-piece Deutschmeister Brass Band and Uber Cool. While the German Cultural stage hosts live displays of various facets of Germany's rich culture like Dance Troupes, contests, choral performances, and more.

October 3, 2014 from 3pm -11pm
October 4, 2014 from 11am-11pm

1820 Market Street

Ticket and event information HERE.

Taste of Benton Park

Come enjoy the best of Benton Park at this street festival including music from Scandaleros and Jake's Leg and cuisine from Benton Park's finest, including Frazer's, Sidney Street Cafe, Jax Cafe, Blues City Deli, Mud House, Luvy Duvy's, Spare No Rib, Melt, Yemanja Brasil, Ernesto's, Peacemaker's, Choice, Capitalist Pig, Benton Park Cafe

October 4, 2014 from 10am - 6pm

S Jefferson Ave at Arsenal St
Saint Louis, MO 63104

More information HERE.

Grovefest 2014

The 9th annual Grovefest features a multitude of different street vendors, live music and all-around entertainment. Sponsor Urban Chestnut is also unveiling a special brew for the occasion, so make sure you start your October right with one of the biggest STL events of the year.

October 4, 2014 from 2pm-10pm

In the Grove Neighborhood on Manchester

More information HERE.

31st Annual Belleville Chili Cookoff

In Belleville, Illinois- just 20 minutes from the Arch- there will be more than 60 vendors selling various types of chili, desserts, kabobs, treats, and more! The live entertainment will consist of Smash Band, Permanent Groove, and Rat Rod Kings. On Saturday, there will be a Chili Chase 5K Run/ Walk and the 8th Annual Jr. Idol, singing contest.

October 4, 2014 from 11am - 10pm

More information HERE.

Summer 2014 "Feast in the Park" Food Truck Events Calendar

Feast Magazine, the St. Louis Food Truck Association, and the St. Louis County Parks just announced the lineup for the super popular 2014 "Feast in the Park" events!

Live music, wonderful cuisine, great time!

"Pin" the schedule here, for future reference:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/33214115976108858/