Ragtime Rendezvous is an event hosted by the Friends of Scott Joplin, and affiliated with the Scott…read moreJoplin site here in Saint Louis. I heard about it years ago on my first trip to Saint Louis, and since then if it's possible to plan my visit here for the Sunday they'll be playing, I try to do it. This is a drop-in event where folks can show of their ragtime chops or jam with other musicians in that style. Folks are pretty friendly and anyone could take a seat if they wish. Most of the folks are regulars, and they're a talented bunch. When I first attended they were meeting in a cafe in the Central West End, but have since started having the Rendezvous at the New Rosebud Cafe, next door to the Scott Joplin site. There's lots of parking around here. Be aware that the cafe doesn't really sell food--they might have cans of pop or water but they're not an eatery. Besides the Rendezvous, they've also held the "Afterglow" party for folks on their way back from the Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia. That usually has quite a few people there and some great music, so once they start it up again it'll be a great party to go to. Review #900

We haven't been to the fair in awhile. So when they announced the Music Line up and Vertical…read moreHorizon was playing..I had to go. I admit, I was a little nervous going downtown with a big crowd. I can tell you that the Security was Top Notch. There was police from every department you could think of. There were EMS to help as it was very toasty today (Saturday). We jumped on Metrolink, walked the grounds. Caught the Airshow and then the concert. The crowd was fun.. and the new Arch grounds were beautiful

I stopped by Fair during my weekend in St. Louis. Hailing from Cincinnati, when we hear "Fair", we…read morethink Ferris wheels, livestock competitions, hayrides and the like. You won't find that here. Fair St. Louis is what we call a street festival. While not what I expected, Fair St. Louis delivered what any standard street festival would: live music, games of chance, and aisles upon aisles of food vendors. All of this takes place under the Gateway Arch. It was refreshing to see a festival on some green space, but the crowds...oh the crowds! It was much too congested for my liking, especially after the Cardinals game let out and a mass herd walked over from the stadium. At the end of each night, a fireworks show is presented for 30 minutes. People are stacked up along the river all day for front-row seating.I found a perfect spot in Citygarden. It had a beautiful view of the show, the Arch and the Old Courthouse.

I discovered Opera STL when I moved back to St. Louis in 2023, thanks to some friends who…read moregenerously invited me along on a spare ticket. I discovered the Young Friends nights in 2024, and after trying a couple out that season, bought 2 passes for 2025 and again this season (2026), with the intent of taking friends to their first operas, just as had been done for me. I know at least one friend got her mom to come to a performance after tagging along to a show with me this year, so I feel that my strategy is working! Of course, this is Opera STL's greatness and strategy, too. The Young Friends are an awesome deal (dinner and bar and 10 bucks off the ticket price if you bundle just two shows!!), but even if you only go to one regular show, they make the evening so special and fun. They put a ton of effort into their seasons (which are basically only the (packed) month of June!) and to bring great music, theatrical, and art to everyone, at any level of opera entry point. I can't wait for next year (and Young Friend brunches???)

Sing sing sing! This performance of center stage was performed by the opera and the STL Orchestra!…read moreI loved hearing all the different languages sung but the subtitles helped a lot to understand the message of the story. The event is a little too long with a 2 hour and 30 minute run with a 20 minute intermission plus an extra 20 minute free champagne toast afterwards. The crowd was mainly older patrons but the opera is always encouraging young people to attend and even have discounts. They do offer desserts, coffee, and alcohol purchases before the show and during intermission. If you want to join in the event prior to the show, have a light picnic dinner before the show starts. That portion is separate from your ticket and eaten outside under a tent at a picnic table. The venue is mainly accessible but those accessible seats go fast as they are oddly extremely limited. They will ask to hold your walker, rollator, and transport chair to save space in the auditorium. Best to bring a cane if possible.

This is one of my favorite events to attend! I have gone pretty much every year and I always have a…read moregreat time! Schlafly usually has a few beers to sample and of course they have a few you can purchase to enjoy while shopping. They also have food to purchase outside so that you don't have to go inside the restaurant if you don't want to. There are hundreds of local vendors selling different types of art. I think every year I find a new artist to buy something from. This year, I purchased some really cool wall art and my husband purchased a retro poster. I also purchased some local earrings for a friend that I know she will love. This is a good event to attend if you want to get out of the house and wander. No need to purchase anything, but you probably will. It's also a good place to purchase gifts for people at. I usually buy birthday presents and sometimes Christmas gifts here as well. Schlafly has had some really good beer specials in the past. You can purchase a pack of beer for just $5! I recommend going on the first day if possible or early on the 2nd day because they usually sell out by the third day. Oh, and they have live music and sometimes fun games to participate in as well. Art Outside has my vote and I look forward to next year!

This was a great casual art fair with a great variety of categories. A great way to enjoy art and…read moremeet the artists. They are very open to questions and some even had freebies! Location couldn't be better, giving you the chance to observe some local art with a local beer in hand!

Kudos to the LouFest organizers on a fantastic festival this year! This year had a wonderfully…read morediverse lineup of talented acts. I loved the established favorites like Huey Lewis, Snoop Dog, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Weezer as well as the newer artists. ZZ Ward and Lecrae are definitely being added to my playlist. The food options were fantastic! They had everything from Dewey's Pizza and Sugarfire to Vicia and Evangeline's. Something delicious for everyone to nosh on. The lines got long at times as expected, but they moved well. The drink lines were the same. We loved the addition of the Malibu Beach House and the Fizz and Folly area. A bonus that you hardly ever witness at a festival: we never had to wait for more than a minute or two for a porta potty...and there was always paper. This was by far the best festival experience I've had in St. Louis. I can't wait for next year!

Ah, Loufest! 2010-2017. I think its safe to say that the festival is now a thing of the past - but…read moreif it does return sometime in the next few years, go ahead and say "I told you so!". In short, it was fun while it was happened. LouFest was supposed to be one of many "smaller" music and arts festivals that would be nothing like the "big boys" (Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza) but more of a community-based festival like the ones that were popping up all over the country. I didn't attend the first five Loufests, regretfully, but the last three years were fun for me and my friends. It seemed that it was getting bigger each year, and the lineup of artists/bands was getting better. Loufest had one of the best diverse lineups, with genres of all kinds as well as past and present acts. 2018 was supposed to have classic acts like Robert Plant and hometowner Michael McDonald, along with current artists like Kacey Musgraves, the Brothers Osborne and Gary Clark Jr. You couldn't find another great lineup nearly anyplace else. Some of the middle-rung acts on the roster were found at some of the other festivals that year (caught some at Bonnaroo) and the headliners were very random. It was always like there was something for everyone, whether you enjoyed local goodness, Christian hip-hop or up-and-coming acts. Because of LouFest, I discovered plenty of great acts I still listen to and enjoy today (Lord Huron, Delta Rae, etc.). You had some of the best indie/alternative headliners such as TV on the Radio and Weezer, along with those that were headlining "big boy" festivals at times (LCD Soundsystem, OutKast). It was no wonder LouFest would have a sell-out attendance in recent years. People came from all around to attend this one-of-a-kind festival. And it wasn't just about the music: it was all about supporting local small businesses - including record stores, and of course the food! It was always great to check out some of the St. Louis-area restaurants and local brews. You had it in a great location in Forest Park - up until last year when they temporarily moved it behind the Muny. It was supposed to happen again this year for different reasons. As the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end...". Unfortunately, it was a very sad, sudden end as it was announced three days before the 2018 festival that it was cancelled. Let me give you a little background: LouFest was going to continue into 2018, straight after the '17 one. Limited tickets were available in October of last year as well as Black Friday (me and my friend both bought ours that day). Their social media presence was alive and well up until May (the usual time when they announced the lineup). People like me got worried as there was no lineup, but finally in late June of this year, it was announced. Next came all the rumors behind all of the backstage drama. This was all about the financial part, but the people behind Loufest's social media accounts assured things were still happening on 9/8 and 9/9. Well, those rumors were put to rest on 9/5/2018. I really don't need to get into much detail about the cause(s) of the festival's demise. That can be found anywhere online. I do believe one of the reasons the 2018 festival didn't happen was crime. Yes, the C-word that is a common cancer to the St. Louis area. Near the end of August, St. Louis' Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced she would be no longer accepting cases from 28 St. Louis police officers. Way to go, Kim. (please note the sarcasm) Coincidentally, this is around the same time the festival's main sponsors bowed out. I'm sure it wasn't just for financial purposes. Of course, the lamestream media is not going to report this. I am glad that people did step up and support the businesses that were to participate in 2018's LouFest. I am still bummed to this day that it didn't happen and how it ended. What even stung more is that Robert Plant (while I'm glad he did perform in St. Louis) played at the Pageant and Loufest ticket holders didn't get first dibs (you know, like a lottery-type of thing...). What really should have been done was moving it to the Dome...after all, it's not like anything is going on there! But, St. Louis and logic don't usually go in the same sentence. Or common sense.

Back after a hiatus secondary to politics, the Midwest Salute to the Arts is usually the third…read moreweekend in August. This free art fair has approximately 100 artists showcasing their work. While it does not have the same atmosphere as Art on the Square, I actually like it better because prices are more reasonable. Parking is plentiful and there is live music and food. The one downside to it is that they have many of the same artists year after year. I guess the good thing is that the artists keep coming back because it is so good, but at the same time, for the consumer, it can get boring. But if you cannot decide and you have to walk away, chances are you could always get it next year.

I was surprised and impressed by this art fair. It's a manageable size and the art is much more…read moreaffordable than at other, more "prestigious" art fairs. I was able to find a pretty copper sculpture and my friend bought a photo print to hang in her office. There were food and drinks for sale, too. I would definitely come back to this art fair, and with the intention of actually purchasing art, no less!

The Centennial Beer Festival is probably one of my favorite festivals in the city each year. The…read moremain reason I find this festival so much more enjoyable is the selection is solid, with a wide variety of beer to sample from local vendors but also across the country. It also helps that the CBF does not oversell tickets, which makes for a much more enjoyable experience with vendors that are not crowded with long lines just to get a taster. In addition to the standard admission, you can upgrade to a VIP ticket that includes limited or special releases. Overall this is a solid beer festival that helps showcase the solid St.Louis/Missouri Craft Beer Scene.

One of the amazing streets of South St. Louis that is dedicated to the spread of Christmas cheer,…read moreSnowflake Street does not disappoint. I loved having this stretch of South St. Louis as the grand finale of our holiday light extravaganza. It left both me and my boyfriend with a big smile. We felt the spirit of Christmas thanks to the homes on Snowflake Street. What made Snowflake Street different than the other streets in the neighborhood was the expansive synced fencing. It was so cool! As you turn onto this street, there's a giant sign that lets you know what station to tune to on your radio dial. The fence is awesome! The lights dance perfectly in unison with the music as you crawl down the street. I loved the music choices too! It was a great mix to make you feel holly jolly. The main event were two homes about halfway down the street. I'd love to know their utility bill this month! There were so many inflatables! Everything you could think of, they had in these two yards. I personally loved the Santa in a Scooby Doo Mystery Machine. Clearly they also love Illumination and all the minions. The minion snowman was hilarious! Also of note -- Buddy the Elf looking over the birth of Christ. Interesting. I was a fan.

This is my favorite street when we visit candy cane lane. I always save it until the very end as a…read morelittle treat for myself. They have great music and lively decorations. Don't skip out on this street! You will regret it!