Annual Events

St. Louis Gladly Accepts Any Excuse To Throw A Party

No doubt about it – the Gateway to the West is always ready to have a good time. Here’s a list of a few of the festivals and events we celebrate each year to get you started. Of course there are plenty more where these came from, so check out the Calendar of Events for a complete list of everything that’s going on in St. Louis.

The Loop Ice Carnival

Mid-January
The Loop Neighborhood
www.visittheloop.com
Free
Celebrate winter with such activities as live ice carving demonstrations, a 5K and 10K Frozen Buns Run, putt -putt pub crawl, scavenger hunt, ice slides, a S’mores roast, fire performers, and live entertainment.

Soulard Mardi Gras

Mid-February/early March
Soulard Neighborhood
www.mardigrasinc.com
Free
It’s tons of fun, frivolity, parades, beads and more during St. Louis’ 11-day Mardi Gras celebration. On the Saturday prior to Fat Tuesday, the historic Soulard neighborhood comes alive with the Grand Parade and a post-parade party that includes national and local bands performing live in the streets. The party season wraps up on Fat Tuesday with a nighttime parade through the streets of downtown St. Louis.

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Run

Mid-March
Downtown St. Louis
www.irishparade.org
Elaborate floats, marching bands, and giant helium-filled balloons fill the streets of St. Louis for the annual parade, which steps off at noon from 18th and Market streets on the Saturday prior to St. Patrick’s Day. The five-mile Michelob ULTRA run begins at Busch Stadium and wends its way through the streets of downtown.

GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend

April
Venue: Downtown St. Louis
www.gostlouis.org
Held in April each year, this race continues to attract over 25,000 participants internationally. The Family Fitness Weekend features events and races for people of all ages and fitness abilities including a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K run/walk, children’s fun runs, mature mile and fitness expo. Marathoners start downtown and run past St. Louis landmarks including Busch Stadium, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Forest Park, Clayton and University City.

St. Louis Earth Day Festival

Late April
Forest Park, Muny Grounds
www.stlouisearthday.org
Free
The annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park is an opportunity for the community to celebrate the Earth while learning about resources, products and services that enable practicing Earth Day every day. Enjoy three stages of entertainment, local food, 200+ booths, and hands-on activities for the whole family.

Art Fair at Laumeier

Early May
Laumeier Sculpture Park
www.laumeier.com
A nationally acclaimed fine art and crafts fair featuring national artists representing clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking/drawing, sculpture and wood with live music, entertainment, demonstrations, food, a beer and wine garden, the Creation Station kids’ area and more.

Saint Louis BluesWeek

Late May
Downtown St. Louis
www.stlbluesweek.com
A 10-day celebration of St. Louis’ Blues heritage that includes a Blues history panel discussion, workshops, a land-based “Blues Cruise” pub crawl, the annual St. Louis Blues Awards ceremony and a free two-day music festival in downtown St. Louis.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Late May – mid-June
Forest Park
www.sfstl.com
Free
Watch Shakespeare under the stars in beautiful Forest Park. Bring blankets or chairs for lawn seating and pack a picnic or enjoy a box dinner from the on-site caterer. Come early for the traditional Green Show where dancers, musicians, jugglers and other entertainers interact with the audience.

PrideFest St. Louis

June
Soldiers Memorial
www.pridestl.org
Free
PrideFest is an annual celebration of gay, lesbian, and transgender culture. The festival includes a parade with floats and contingents, twenty hours of live entertainment ranging from pop, disco, jazz, rock, country and rap.

St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival

June
Forest Park
www.stlbrewfest.com
Enjoy live music, gourmet food and have a chance to sample more than 60 beer styles from local brewers including Schlafly, O’Fallon Brewery Six Row Brewing Company, Morgan Street Brewery, Anheuser-Busch, and Square One.

Circus Flora

June
Grand Center Arts & Entertainment District
www.circusflora.org
St. Louis’ intimate one-ring circus offers a unique circus experience under an air-conditioned Big Top.

Whitaker Jazz Festival

June – mid-August
Missouri Botanical Garden
www.mobot.org
Free
Enjoy cool jazz on warm summer nights under the stars. The concerts feature a variety of local artists performing after-hours concerts in the lush surroundings of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Fair Saint Louis

July
Downtown St. Louis
www.celebratestlouis.org
Free
On July 4th, St. Louis celebrates the nation’s birthday with a free blow-out bash. In addition to free concerts from nationally-known artists like Collective Soul, Joss Stone, and Hootie & The Blowfish, there’s plenty of food and beverage options and a spectacular fireworks display.

Celebrate St. Louis

July
Downtown St. Louis
www.celebratestlouis.org
Free
After Fair St. Louis, the Celebrate St. Louis weekend concert series kicks off, with free shows – and more fireworks – on Friday and Saturday nights through July.

Festival of Nations

Late August
Tower Grove Park
www.iistl.org
Free
This multiethnic celebration features traditional dance, music, ethnic food, cultural and educational exhibits, folk art demonstrations, and an international market.

Big Muddy Blues Festival

Labor Day Weekend
Laclede’s Landing
www.lacledeslanding.com
Free
St. Louis’ only blues festival takes place each year on Laclede’s Landing, a historic district along the Mississippi River. National and local bands perform on multiple outdoor stages during the two-day event.

Annual Japanese Festival

Labor Day Weekend
Missouri Botanical Garden
www.mobot.org
A celebration of Japanese culture that includes tours of the Japanese garden, art exhibitions, traditional processions, tea ceremonies, kimono demonstrations, traditional music and dancing, arts and crafts, Ikebana, Bonsai, martial arts, karaoke, theatrical performances, cooking demonstrations, food booths and more.

LouFest Music Festival

September
Forest Park
www.loufest.com
A sustainable music festival for all-ages featuring national and local bands on three stages, food and retail and for the youngest fans there is Area K, a special are filled with music, magic, kid-friendly food, a rock climbing wall and more.

Saint Louis Art Fair

September
Downtown Clayton
www.saintlouisartfair.com
Free
In addition to unique, high quality artwork by visual artists from across the country, the Art Fair includes the Creative Castle kids’ area, food and beverage options at Pleasures of the Palate, and three stages with live entertainment.

Great Forest Park Balloon Race

September
Forest Park
www.greatforestparkballoonrace.com
Free
Festivities begin with a balloon glow on Friday night and race day (Saturday) activities include a children’s entertainment area and a photo contest prior to the launch of the hare and hound balloons. Bring a picnic and enjoy the day!

St. Louis Gateway Classic

September
www.gatewayclassic.org
The St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation hosts the American Family
Insurance Gateway Football Classic football weekend at the Edward Jones Dome. The annual gridiron match-up features two historically black colleges, and the weekend is filled with social events and activities.

The Charter Taste of St. Louis

Late September
Soldiers Memorial Plaza
www.tastestl.com
Free
The Charter Taste of St. Louis is an award-winning celebration of the best food, art, music and culture our great city has to offer. A Grand Tasting Event, Celebrity Chef appearances, 50+ Restaurants, Culinary Competitions, free National Concerts, an Art & Wine Walk, Kids Kitchen and so much more.

Annual Historic Shaw Art Fair

October
Shaw Neighborhood
www.shawartfair.org
Quality artists from around the country who work in a large variety of media and styles will be displayed on the grassy parkway of the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Flora Place.

Annual Best of Missouri Market

October
Missouri Botanical Garden
www.mobot.org
More than 130 Missouri food producers and craftsmen gather to offer fresh produce, baked goods, fresh and dried flowers, herbs, handcrafted items, baskets, wooden toys, custom jewelry and more. Features live music and a Kids Corner.

St. Louis International Film Festival

November
St. Louis Region
www.cinemastlouis.org
The 10-day celebration of world cinema features dozens of selections from every genre. Films are screened at numerous theaters throughout the bi-state area.

First Night St. Louis

December 31
Grand Center Arts & Entertainment District
www.firstnightstl.org
An alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration featuring visual and performing arts, musicians, storytellers, dancers, magicians, actors, puppeteers and visual and media artists and two fireworks displays (9 p.m. and midnight).