I chose the cultural experience of going to a small town festival called "Apple Days." This is an…read moreall day event where people from around town go to the Sander's house on Turkey Run Road in Saint Clair, Missouri. The town of Saint Clair is around 2,000 people that have all lived there their whole lives. There is one gas station, one grocery store, one coffee shop, and one school. My whole family lives within a mile of each other in this town, and we have all grown up there on properties that are passed down from generations. Whatever event happens here, everyone knows about it. Apple Days is a tradition that everyone comes out to the Sander's every year for. This is an experience from dawn to dusk that takes days to prepare and set up for. Apple Days is a day of appreciation for all the old, traditional ways of American farmers and workers. Everyone dresses up to be set in an American time period as old as the 1800s. There are different areas of the Sander's property for different traditional ways of life. There is a pie baking station, with an old oven and wood or stainless steel baking tools on a wooden counter. You have to grind up your own flour and go collect your own eggs from the chicken coop. There is a station for old-fashioned stew, where a big pot of freshly grown and cut vegetables are being cooked over a big fire. There are areas with old wooden toys for the kids to play on, and you're transported around the farm on a tractor from the 1930s. But most important of all, there are the apples. A homestead American apple grinder made out of wood and iron is placed in the middle of the farm and is surrounded by a giant bucket of apples from the orchard. The most popular experience is the apple cider, fermented into fresh juice and able to drink straight from the apple grinder. There's not only many variety of apples that are celebrated during this event, but many forms of American culture in past generations as well. All the people in Saint Clair who join the Sanders on their farm for Apple Days are being reminded that the old ways are the good ways. They prefer to grow, grind, and cook their apples into jam instead of going to the store and buying it. Although it takes time and effort, the traditional ways are special and should be passed down to generations so they are never forgotten. Apple Days is a rememberable cultural experience that brings American homestead back to life.

I don't know why I've never been to this festival until this year. Maybe the very strange…read morepromotional art? I thought it was going to be very hippie, and it was in a way, but it brought out a lot of people...and not all of them were hippies. I do love the idea though: arts and crafts through upcycled material...how much cooler is that? Getting there is somewhat of a pain because Highway 50 narrows down to one lane each way when you get close to the park. Add to that Oktoberfests galore, and you have a very nice recipe for "traffic jam". Everyone parks everywhere, but surprisingly enough, parking wasn't that big of a deal. It is really a family thing too. They have arts and crafts for the kids, indie bands playing, lots of picnic tables set up with the usual assortment of fair foods, an alpaca petting zoo, and of course, Girl Scouts selling cookies. But the booths themselves are the showcase, and the media is quite varied, even though I heard a booth owner complain, "It is so hard nowadays to be original." She was selling wire jewelry, so I guess I can see her point. And really, my favorite booths are really the unique ones like Beqi Clothing and Newberry Furniture. The Newberrys repurpose old wood for new stuff...their current thing consists of Adirondack chairs made from an old barn. And Beqi takes vintage clothing and changes it all around..she has quite the gift. The whole thing is pretty big, and it really does impress me that there are so many craftsters in the area.

The Strange Folk Festival is the COOLEST shopping festival I've ever attended. The wares are the…read moresort of thing you'd find on Etsy. Great place to get Christmas and birthday gifts. From what I understand, artisans come from all over the US to sell at this event. There is a huge variety and it's so much fun. Cool crowd too. I only wish it was a regular fixture rather than once a year in one place. 17/100 Yelp Challenge 2015

What an amazing event. Last week was my first visit and my companion's 2nd time…read more We were blown away by the varied artists, including local acts. We were introduced to lots of new music. All of the staff was well-organized and extremely accomodating. The volunteers were obviously serving for the love of the event. We found the additional expense for VIP Whole Hog tickets were well worth our costs. The toilets were very clean and smelled fresh. The food was delicious, though I did grow weary of Bar-B-Que for every meal. The bonus was being able to ride the rail because of the VIP perks. No where else will I be able to stand 10 feet from Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, The Black Pumas, and others. I will return!!!!

Great festival. The parking for those not taking the shuttle is an issue, but once you get to the…read moregates it is all good. I do wish the performers had an option for autograph signing and individual merch in addition to the one main merch tent that didn't have items fromoat of the performers.

The annual Pyromania Fireworks show . This event is always organized and well planned out. From…read moresocial media coverage, to event maps , to security, music, strobe lights etc. it is bound to be fun. This is a ticketed event for admission with parking at an additional fee. Seating is on a first come first serve basis so plan your day accordingly. Plenty of food trucks to choose from, a lot of vendors and swag merchandise, kiddie sections and porty potties on the grounds Check it out and definitely plan to attend . Great date night, friends gathering or family fun.

This year for my birthday my wife planned a weekend away for us. We dropped our kids off at their…read moregrandparents and then headed out. We wanted to get out of the city so headed 45 minutes west to the edges of St. Charles County. We stayed at an amazing AirBnB (Red Mule Ranch) and then decided to go to Cedar Lake Cellars. There are a ton of wineries in the St. Louis and Southern Illinois area. I've been to a lot of them, but had never been to Cedar Lake Cellars. It is a well known winery and event space just west of St. Louis. There are two main options for when you go. The Barrell Room is a large barn that has a mixture of beer, wine, and mixed drinks. This is the more casual of the two areas. There are large tables inside, and then an open patio area. The Barrell room doesn't have food itself, but just outside is a BBQ stand that also caters to patrons sitting outside. This is where my wife and I sat for about an hour or so before dinner. It had a lot of bachelor parties and larger groups. This area also has live music on the weekends. The second main place to eat and drink (skipping over the outdoor BBQ area) is the restaurant and tasting room. This is more of a formal dining room. The menu was modest but had a mixture of steaks, sandwiches, soups, and appetizers. The prices were very reasonable, and we very much enjoyed our food. The service was good, although maybe a bit overworked, and overall we had zero complaints. I got prime rib with two sides for around $35 which is a great deal. I was actually surprised at how reasonable the prices were. It just makes it that much easier to order a couple glasses of wine. Beyond the two main indoor/outdoor eating areas there are a number of other wedding venues on the property. There is also an stage and the venue hosts outdoor concerts. When we were there this aspect of the property wasn't being used. The overall property felt immense. It is a shame as it definitely felt like the winery could have a lot more people there than we saw, there were probably 75 tables/benches (or more) outside and only a handful had people. It could be that the heat was keeping people away, or just that wineries are declining in popularity from their peak a few years ago. Either way, we had a great time.

this is not a messtival i would ever go to again. i went a couple of years back and it took about…read more90 minutes of driving in the worst terrain... if you have a low sedan, don't do it! not much to see once you get there... 180 round trip in the car... parking on hay, not the best for a sedan. overpriced food, not even fresh, no tissue in the bathrooms. nope!

This was an utterly horrid experience. We spent two hours in the car in line, being directed by…read morepolice to supposed parking. I kid you not, two hours. They directed us in a long line (beginning well outside of town), through town and the crowds, to the opposite end of town, and then another 3 miles to park on the side of the road. In the mud. Being handicap, there was no way we could walk back to the festival. They claim to have shuttles. We never saw ONE the whole two hours we were in line. 4 hours of our Saturday wasted AS THE ONLY PARTS OF THE WHOLE THING WE SAW FROM THE CAR AS WE DROVE THROUGH. This event is not well thought out. They know they have this kind of turnout and still do nothing to address the issue of parking. No available handicap parking. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT.

Such a Fun and Magical Experience!!!…read more It was our first time attending, and we had an absolute blast! I was genuinely surprised by how transformative the whole experience was. The festival is built right into the park, and the moment you walk through the gates, you're transported to another time and place. From giant turkey legs and funnel cakes to jousting matches, archery, and lively stage shows, there's never a dull moment! The festival runs for six weeks, with each weekend offering its own unique theme, so there's always something new to see and experience. The vendors are incredible! There is so much craftsmanship, creativity, and heart in every booth. Everyone fully embraces the spirit of the festival. People arrive in costume, and the staff stay perfectly in character, making you feel like part of the story. We'll absolutely be back every year! It's the kind of event that captures your imagination and keeps you coming back for more and with yummy yummy food!

We attended on opening day, pirate theme weekend. The parking is free, and there is lots of it. You…read moremay walk a bit from the car to the entrance. We had cold drinks and a cooler of food in our car for lunch since we have food allergies (we got a code word to re-enter, which worked fine). We had not bought tickets on-line ahead of time, and when we got to the event, it was unexpectedly "cash only" throughout the park. The credit card readers were apparently "all down." There was an ATM right by the ticket windows but I did not have my debit card. There were a couple of different ways to get free or discounted tickets the day we went that I didn't know about until we got there - there was a van for donating blood for free entry and also a winter coat drive. I had a paper coupon that I used, but would have gotten a better deal donating some winter coats. There was confusion about the water situation. We brought empty refillable water containers, expecting to be able to fill them with tap water at "water stations" but as we walked through the park, there was bottled water for purchase but no water stations. We asked all of the vendors and nobody knew anything. I absolutely hate drinking bottled water and creating plastic waste. [The water policy was recently clarified on their Facebook page, and the way I understand it: one sealed plastic water bottle per person can be brought in and one empty refillable container can be filled at the Information Booth only but check the website.] We ended up buying bottles of soda/sweet tea instead, in cash, near the jousting because we were so thirsty and I was getting light-headed. They weren't even cold. We later tried to figure out if the mead was gluten-free, but it wasn't marked gluten-free so we gave it a pass (they also were not able to guarantee that their taps/tubing weren't used previously for beer, so cross-contamination was a possibility). We did enjoy the entertainment, including the jousting, and the petting zoo. The performers all really did a good job and there was a wide variety of shows all around the festival. We brought some cash in small bills specifically to tip them, as they definitely deserved it. I was impressed by the hand wash stations, especially around the petting zoo area and the port-o-potties. Attendees were dressed in some very cool costumes and some people even brought their dogs, also in costume. Overall, this visit was a little underwhelming, but I plan to continue to attend every year.

We have been enjoying their wine since we found them at the prior location in Augusta, Mo. The new…read morelocation is much larger, but still handled by the owners. Plenty of room to sit and enjoy the view on a pleasant day, or if the weather is a bit off there is indoor seating as well. We typically are not red wine drinkers, but we have found that we thoroughly enjoy their wines. We wish they were closer to us so we could visit more frequently, but it is always a joy when we go

We could not have asked for a better wine testing experience. We had not need back to Holy Grail in…read morea couple of years. The same wonderful service and gracious owners. The wines are such unique and genuine flavors and bends. Since they allow food to be brought in we brought sandwiches and chips. It was cold outside and we brought our dog so they told us to bring her in. I highly encourage a trip to this winery for authentic wine experience. I'm looking forward to warmer weather to sit outside in the shaded table and chairs area.

I know this festival has had some pretty negative reviews in the past, but I honestly think it was…read morea nice time. Was it the best ever? No, certainly not. But I did have a nice time and found it to be enjoyable despite the number of people, the craziness of parking and the jam packed booths in such small spaces. Depending on where you park, you may need to wait and take a shuttle, or you can likely walk if you are up for it, which is what we did. Paying to park was easy and the lot was semi easy to navigate, but I am thankful that my friend with her SUV drove because I really think my car would have gotten stuck in the grass. Entering the festival is overwhelming. I think they may have had too many vendors (which is not a terrible thing), but when I say it was crowded, I really mean it. Walking in the narrow lanes with vendor booths on both sides was chaotic and really stressed me out a bit. There were so many people walking each and every way with no order whatsoever so I found myself walking behind some of the booths just to avoid people. The food section had tons of options that were mostly like any kind of traditional fair food you can imagine. We did not order anything to eat or drink so we avoided that area. I really just wanted to watch the making of apple butter which I did (quickly) and I managed to find a booth where they were selling apple pie moonshine (so so good)! Lots of the booths had a ton of cheap items that anyone can probably find online through shein or temu so we walked right past those. The booths that we did visit were ones where we can tell the vendor was actually doing the craft. I purchased a hand carved bear and a hand carved snowman by some of the woodworkers and I was very happy with those purchases. My friend also purchased some of the hand crocheted items for her kiddos from a woman who was actually crocheting while in her booth so we know it was made by hand and so cute. There were a few booths selling pet treats and pet items so I did purchase my little pup some treats (he was also with me walking around that day). He liked the treats a lot and was really excited to get so many pets from people and he got to meet a few other dog friends too. Walking around was getting overwhelming for all of us, so we eventually found the little play area where we would rest and the kids could play so that was a nice way to finish out the day. Overall, I liked this festival for what it was. I just wonder if they can do something about the space to maybe spread out things some more net year? It's just really crowded and some of the booths are not necessary IMO.

This is genuinely the largest festival I've ever been to. The town and school have it very well…read moreorganized. Be prepared to deal with heavy auto traffic, lots of pedestrians, and crowds. We parked at the high school fire $10 and ride a shuttle bus to the festival area and back. Very handy!! 500 or so vendors for real. Townspeople were very friendly and friendly in their shops. Found out the Christmas festival is smaller and lots of fun so we'll likely be back for that. When they say they are expecting 100 thousand visitors over the weekend believe them. Certainly worth a visit.

If you enjoy birds, birding, or anything to do with flappers (my cat's name for avians), this is…read morethe shop for you! Blue bird houses, books, all kinds of seeds, peanuts, tchotchkes, garden chimes, KNOWLEDGE, kindness, patience, and more. Love it!

Outstanding selection, service and knowledge! Their pre-Christmas festivities are great.read more