16. St. Louis Storytelling Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 516-5948
Description: The Storytelling Festival has been spinning yarns for more than 20 years, and it continues to delight people of all ages throughout the metropolitan area. Each year more than 70 regional and featured storytellers gather in St. Louis for this four-day event, held in late April and early May, which features a variety of activities and special events. In addition to special adult storytelling sessions and workshops, there are storytelling programs for the deaf, youth concerts, and a grand finale performance highlighting featured storytellers. Free.
17. Central West End House And Garden Tour
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 367-2220
Description: This self-guided walking tour features different segments of the CWE neighborhood each year. From the “private places” of Portland Place and Westmoreland Place to the mansions of the Central West End’s central corridor, this annual event, which takes place early in the month, is a great way to get an inside look at how the “other half” lives. Most of the houses featured on the tour are where St. Louis’s original captains of industry lived—and the houses include everything from ballrooms to soda fountains. The cost is usually around $20.
18. Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (636) 928-4141
Description: Held for four weekends from mid-May through early June, the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire at Wentzville is a living-history event that seeks to re-create the spirit of 16th-century Renaissance France. The fair invites visitors to immerse themselves in the costumes and mannerisms of the era while perusing the period-inspired offerings of many merchants. Fairgoers can watch the exploits of jousting knights; roam the village shops; enjoy live entertainment, including comedy and music; and interact with colorful villagers, nobles, and assorted peasants. The cost is around $10 and a discount coupon is available on the Web site.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Address: 12580 Rott Road
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
21. Battle Of Fort San Carlos Commemoration
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: This program features music, marching Creole soldiers, costumed re-enactors, and a narrative about activities and feelings on the fateful day of May 26, 1780, when St. Louis defended America’s western frontier against the British in the Revolutionary War. The event is usually held the Saturday before May 26. Free.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
23. Horseradish Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (618) 344-0264
Description: In early June join in the free fun at the “Horseradish Capital of the World” with a horseradish-eating contest, root-toss competition, live music, food (in addition to horseradish), entertainment, and horseradish-related games. Thanks to the contribution of two-thirds of the U.S. horseradish crop, Collinsville ranks as the world’s most concentrated area of horseradish production.
24. Shakespeare Festival Of St. Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 361-0101
Description: See the Bard of Avon’s classics under the stars in beautiful Forest Park during the annual fortnight of free performances held in early June. Bring blankets or chairs for lawn seating. Regular performances take place at 8:00 p.m. every night except Tuesday, and the family-friendly Green Show, which features Elizabethan dancers and musicians, educational lectures, and a mini play for children, starts at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night performances are signed for the hearing impaired.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
26. Taste Of The Central West End And Art Fair
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 367-2220
Description: This popular neighborhood event, held in early June, is part street festival, part block party, and features samples from CWE restaurants along with art and music. Local bands provide the music, and local and regional artists show and sell their works. Admission is free, and the various “tastes” range from $1 to $5.
27. Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race For The Cure
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 721-2900
Address: 200 South Hanley Road, Suite 1070
Description: Every year in mid-June, more than 60,000 locals participate in the Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure, which is one of the largest events of its kind in the country. Downtown is overrun with a sea of pink, as men, women, and children spend a Saturday morning walking or running in support of a cure for breast cancer. There is a competitive 5K run, along with a noncompetitive 5K run/walk and a 1-mile Fun Walk, and it is an inspiring way to spend a morning. Registration costs are $20 to $30, and race-day drop-ins are welcome.
28. Circus Flora
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 533-1285
Description: Circus Flora was formed in 1985 as a nonprofit theater company specializing in a one-ring European circus. In the intimate red and white “big top,” no audience member is more than 40 feet from the ring. For two weeks in mid-June, audiences are treated to wire walkers, jugglers, dancers, galloping horses, and all of the usual trappings of a modern-day circus performance. Circus Flora features original music and a story line that serves as a framework for the acts, bringing the animals, performers, and audience members together in a celebration of life. This show offers kids a chance to feel a part of the action, rather than just being spectators. The cost ranges from $10 to $25.
29. Great Rivers Towboat Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (618) 786-7000
Description: Learn about life on the Mississippi as you tour a working riverboat and see how river crews live and work aboard the huge barges that cruise America’s inland waterways. The festival takes place on the fourth weekend in June each year, and it’s a great activity for the whole family. Free.
30. Fair Saint Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 434-3434
Description: This annual fair celebrates America’s birthday with two days of live concerts, ethnic foods, and nationally known entertainers in downtown St. Louis. The fireworks displays held each evening are a highlight of what has come to be known as “America’s biggest birthday party.” There’s a giant sand sculpture tied to the fair theme each year, along with interactive shows and activities, a Family Fun Village, and other entertainers. Free.