City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
47. Faust Folk Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (636) 532-7298
Description: For two days in late September, Faust Historical Village comes alive with period re-enactors and artisans demonstrating their crafts, including blacksmithing, metalwork, rail splitting, wheat weaving, making cornhusk dolls, wood carving, silhouette cutting, and others. Live music is featured each day, along with a children’s activity area and stagecoach and pony rides. The cost is around $3.
48. Gateway Football Classic Weekend
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 621-1994
Address: 1015 Locust Street, Suite 420
Description: The annual Gateway Classic football game is held in late September at the Edward Jones Dome, and the weekend of football festivities includes a college fair, workshops, a fashion show, golf tournament, hospitality receptions, a pep rally and street festival, the Pan-Hellenic Council Greek Village, and live entertainment. Other activities include the Lifetime Achievement Awards Dinner, parties, a parade, a songfest, and a tailgate party. There’s also a wildly entertaining Battle of the Bands halftime show. Tickets range from $12 to $65.
49. International Route 66 Mother Road Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (800) 545-7300
Description: Celebrate the love of the open road at this nostalgic car show and street festival held in late September. The festival features thousands of classic cars, live music, celebrity appearances, a Route 66 authors’ and artists’ expo, specialty foods, and performances by stunt drivers and trick motorcycle-riding teams. A highlight of the festival is the world’s largest sock hop held at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center, which usually features oldies bands playing hits from the ’60s. Free admission; $15 to $50 for sock hop.
50. Missouri Chili Cook-Off
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 961-2828
Description: This yearly chili-cooking contest held in late September features more than 100 varieties of chili, and teams compete for “best in show” as well as for a showmanship prize, which participants try to win by using colorful props and costumes to develop a theme for their cooking area. A recent addition to the competition is the homemade salsa division. The grand-prize chili recipe winner goes on to represent St. Louis in the National Chili Cook-Off. Free.
51. Taste Of St. Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 534-2101
Address: 227 South Jefferson
Description: The last weekend in September is traditionally the date for Taste of St. Louis, a three-day event that celebrates food, music, art, and entertainment from the region. Held on the park grounds around the Soldiers Memorial at 14th and Market streets downtown, “Taste” includes national headliners such as the Neville Brothers, Ozomatli, Live, Son Volt, Shemekia Copeland, and The Roots. Restaurant Row offers visitors a chance to buy “tastes” of specialty dishes from St. Louis restaurants, and the Culinary Stage features a head-to-head battle between area chefs and various culinary demonstrations. The music and art villages offer a variety of live dance and musical performances, as well as art pieces for sale by local artists. Free.
52. Fall Color Caravan
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (618) 465-6676, (800) 258-6645
Description: Each and every fall, the colors along the National Scenic Byway turn from green to gold, orange, yellow, and red. This free natural spectacle attracts thousands of visitors who enjoy the many festivals, fairs, and roadside stands that pop up each weekend through October. The fall is a great time for a weekend getaway in this part of the country, but it’s best to make reservations early—the best hotels and bed-and-breakfasts book up early.
53. Fright Fest Six Flags St. Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (636) 938-4800
Description: Six Flags’ annual Halloween extravaganza features “spooktacular” family fun for kids of all ages, including live entertainment, haunted hayrides, storytelling, and, of course, trick-or-treating. A popular activity is “Fearanoia,” a nighttime interactive survival game that takes place throughout the 200-acre park. Other attractions include the Mausoleum of Terror and Brutal Planet for those who love a good scare. There are also plenty of non-scary attractions for smaller kids who “spook” easily. The event is held throughout the month of October, on weekends Friday—Sunday. The cost is $37 to $45. Parking additional.
54. Haunted Alton
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (618) 465-6676, (800) 258-6645
Description: As seen on ABC-TV, Alton is considered to be the most haunted small town in America. The October haunted history tours held throughout the month attract thousands of curious visitors who are hoping to experience something spooky enough to talk about for years. The tours are entertaining, clever, and historic, and they also offer a chance to see beautiful private homes. There are also a number of other activities to enjoy, including an Owl Prowl through Pere Marquette State Park, the McPike Mansion Campout, and the Alton Halloween Parade. Costs vary per activity.
55. Loop In Motion Arts Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 725-4466
Description: The festivals features two days’ worth of festivities, starting with the Friday evening gallery/art walk through various exhibits, musical entertainment, and dance performances at more than two dozen locations. See the performance-art piece going on inside the “live window” at Blueberry Hill, along with glass-blowing and ceramic demonstrations at Washington University’s Lewis Center. The Loop de Loop Parade takes place on Saturday, followed by live music and dance performances on two stages, children’s art activities, a Loop n’ Leash Dog Talent Contest, artists’ demonstrations, performance art and more. Free.
56. Oktoberfest
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (636) 946-7776, (800) 366-2427
Description: This two-day, city-wide celebration held in late September or early October pays homage to St. Charles’s French and German heritage. Activities include a parade; German bands, foods, and beverage booths; beer gardens; an antique car show Sunday on South Main; German costumes; live music; a children’s area; and dozens of craft booths in Frontier Park. Free.
57. St. Louis Walk Of Fame Induction Ceremony
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 727-0880
Address: 6504 Delmar Boulevard
Description: The annual induction ceremony takes place in early October in the heart of The Loop neighborhood on an outdoor stage located at Delmar and Westgate Streets. A local celebrity or TV personality usually emcees the free program, which pays tribute to the newest additions to the Walk of Fame family. Frequently, the honorees make a special effort to attend these ceremonies, and past recipients have included such famous names as Kevin Kline, Marsha Mason, Bob Costas, John Goodman, and Chuck Berry. The brass stars and plaques along the sidewalks of Delmar Boulevard contain summaries of the accomplishments made by famous St. Louisans. There are more than 110 stars and plaques on the Walk of Fame, with additional inductees added each year.
58. Best Of Missouri Market
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 577-9540, (800) 642-8842
Address: 4344 Shaw Boulevard
Description: All things Missouri can be found at more than 100 country stands filled with fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants, herbs, nuts, candies, and baked foods along with handmade arts and crafts. Country and bluegrass musical groups entertain, and the children’s activities area features a variety of craft-making opportunities, such as pumpkin or straw hat decorating, bead making, and a chance to get up-close and-personal with a stable full of farm animals. The event is usually held the first weekend of October. The cost is $3 to $10.
59. Historic Shaw Art Fair
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 771-3101
Description: More than 125 artists from across the country display and offer for sale works in a wide variety of media. The fair is set up along the Flora Place Parkway in the historic Shaw neighborhood, which is directly east of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The art fair is juried, and the artists who participate offer some incredibly beautiful and unique pieces. The fair also has children’s activities, an eclectic menu of foods available at the food court, and a unique variety of musical performers. The event, which usually takes place the first weekend of October, is held in conjunction with the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Best of Missouri Market showcase. The cost is $5; children under 14 are admitted free if accompanied by an adult.
60. Columbus Day Parade And Festival
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (314) 837-8830
Description: The predominately Italian neighborhood known as “The Hill” celebrates the voyage of Columbus to the New World with a parade followed by an Italian festival in Berra Park. The parade begins at Southwest and Kingshighway and winds through the neighborhood, ending at Berra Park at Shaw and Macklind Avenues, where the festival features Italian food and entertainment. Free.