15 Things to Do in St. Louis This April

Looking for things to do in St. Louis this April? We’ve got activities for everyone, from lantern festivals to theatrical spectacles and physical challenges to Earth Day celebrations.

Home games at Busch Stadium, CITYPARK, Enterprise Center and The Dome at America’s Center are also heating up the sports scene in St. Louis. If you’re a fan, snag tickets to see one – or all – of our professional sports teams play in rip-roaring competitions in between these other events.

Animals Aglow Lantern Festival

Until May 5

The first-ever Animals Aglow lantern festival will bring a dazzling spectacle of lights to the Saint Louis Zoo. More than 60 larger-than-life Chinese lanterns, along with interactive light displays in the shape of plants and animals, will illuminate paths throughout the Zoo in this nighttime event. Guests can stroll through the colorful Chinese Dragon Corridor, pose with giant glowing animals and play with interactive displays such as the Moonlight Swings and the Star Stepping Pads.

BODYTRAFFIC

April 6

Direct from Los Angeles, BODYTRAFFIC leaps into St. Louis with surprising, unforgettable, cutting-edge theatricality. Presented by Dance St. Louis at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, the provocative performance will feature a combination of superb dancers and accomplished choreographers with universal appeal.

Oddities & Curiosities Expo

April 6 and 7

From funeral collectibles to quack medicine and odd jewelry to preserved specimens, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo is your destination for all things peculiar. Everything at the show is sustainably sourced and legal to own, and alongside carefully curated vendors, dealers, small businesses and artists, sideshow performers will entertain attendees throughout the day.

St. Louis Battlehawks

April 6 and 20

In the newly formed United Football League (UFL), the St. Louis Battlehawks will be one of the most watched teams. Soaring into The Dome at America’s Center for April home games on the 6th and the 20th, they’re hoping to beat last year’s average attendance record of 35,104. Ka-Kaw!

Live at the Pulitzer: People and Place

April 9

As part of the 20th anniversary of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Pulitzer series, People and Place celebrates dynamic musical practices from the Americas. Pulitzer Prize winner Raven Chacon tells a future creation story in The Journey of the Horizontal People, while Clarice Assad introduces us to the vibrant folk melodies and dances of South America in Canções da America. Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov conjures the sounds of Brazil in memory of a close friend in Mariel, and Molly Herron ponders the evolution of the sarabande and its roots in the new world in Three Sarabandes.

The Book of Mormon

April 9 to 14

The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly rates it “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” It’s The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical, and it’s coming to The Fabulous Fox this month. The outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room-only productions in London, on Broadway and across North America, The Book of Mormon has become an international sensation, and this is your chance to see it in St. Louis.

The Cher Show

April 10 and 11

For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture – breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. The Cher Show is the Tony Award-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid in the beginning, the glam pop star and the icon. The Cher Show features 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City. See the unabashedly fabulous new musical – which, we must warn you, incites dancing in the aisles – at Stifel Theatre on April 10 and 11.

Sips, Souls and Strolls

April 12

During the Victorian era, sculptors left meaningful – and sometimes secret – messages in stone. Join the master guides at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum on this two-hour tour, which will reveal the clever meanings of the iconography on headstones, monuments and mausoleums throughout the grounds. Sips, Souls and Strolls will also feature beer, wine and light hors d’oeuvres.

The Kid at the Edge of Everything

April 19 and 20

Simone, age 12, lives an overwhelming and overscheduled life, and she desperately wants to find a place that she can stop and think. At the same time, on the other side of the universe, The Kid at the Edge of Everything lives alone, bored and isolated. Following a startling sequence of events – involving a lot of fireworks and a rocket ship – their worlds collide, changing the trajectory of the children’s lives forever. With an age-appropriate cast of professional adults and COCA student actors, this imaginative adventure about friendship will delight audiences of all ages. Written by internationally acclaimed playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer, the play has been described as “interstellar surrealism,” yet children will relate to the real-world struggles of the characters as they find balance and connection.

St. Louis Earth Day Festival

April 20 and 21

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is a community tradition. At the two-day event, guests learn about sustainable products and services offered by area businesses and organizations, including 4 Hands Brewing Co., Alpacas of Troy, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, Big Muddy Adventures, Kakao Chocolate, Schlafly Beer, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. and World Bird Sanctuary. You can also meet local nonprofits, such as the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, which share Earth Day values, and try local restaurants, such as Salt + Smoke, which comprise the Green Dining Alliance – all while enjoying live entertainment. Whether you come for the activities, the food or the music, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival will leave you feeling inspired by the real progress being made to preserve our planet.

QFest St. Louis

April 26 to 28 and May 3 to 5

QFest St. Louis utilizes the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQIA+ people and celebrate queer culture. Screening films that wouldn’t otherwise show in St. Louis, the event aims to excite, entertain and enlighten audiences of all identities. This year marks the 17th anniversary of QFest, which is presented by Cinema St. Louis.

GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend

April 27

The GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend brings the area’s favorite running tradition to the city streets, historic landmarks and beautiful parks of our unique neighborhoods. Held on April 27, the special event also includes races and festivities for everyone in the family, including a marathon relay, 5k and kids’ fun run.

Nikki Glaser: The Good Girl Tour

April 27

One of the funniest female voices in comedy today, Nikki Glaser will perform live at The Fabulous Fox on April 27. The stand-up comedian is also a St. Louis native, who doesn’t hide her love for the region.

Tough Mudder

April 27 and 28

Tough Mudder, the global leader in obstacle course adventures, will host an event at World Wide Technology Raceway on April 27 and 28. The world’s premier endurance event will offer an action-packed weekend of muddy challenges across 5k, 10k and 15k courses. The multifaceted adventure competition joins a stellar calendar of WWTR events in 2024, including the NASCAR Cup Series, the NTT IndyCar Series, NHRA Midwest Nationals and Formula Drift.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

April 30 to May 12

Pop the Champagne – Moulin Rouge! The Musical is coming to The Fabulous Fox. The winner of 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, draws you into a world of splendor and romance, a world of eye-popping excess, glitz, grandeur and glory. In this world, bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Moulin Rouge! Based on Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and – above all – love. By the end of the production, you’ll understand that Moulin Rouge! is more than a musical; it’s a state of mind.