This can be a good family outing and I hope it stays this way. I attended on a Friday evening and…read morebecause of the okay weather it was crowded. I was thinking wow all these people to see balloons glow? Is it the food and higher prices or drinks? Nope, it's the time we all come out to support and come together without judgement and feel safe. we can stretch out on the ground and bloop just about anywhere and bring our own or buy to support ( because that's what we are doing when we pay those prices) We choose to battle the traffic and walk through the people to gather for something to do without nonsense. Don't get me wrong yes, we have our few a holes and it is what it is especially when so many cultures cross without regard. However it does not stop us from the thing to do in September right before we know summer will end now .... but tell that to STL... LOL!

This is one of the many fun and free events in St Louis and it pains me to say that having lived in…read morethe area for almost a decade, this was my first year checking this event out. My friends dragged me here, albeit not kicking and screaming but there were definitely some initial resistance due to crowd and traffic. The usual introverted enemies. I'm glad I allowed them to drag me here though. While I totally missed out on the Glow activities, I got to witness the actual race which was fun, filled with entertainment, and a few choice food trucks and vendors to satisfy some of your food and drink cravings while enjoying some fanciful balloons. Yes, parking can be a slight mess but if you come early and exercise patience, the event is actually quite enjoyable. There were face painting booths for the young ones, bunnies to pet, drink trucks for your imbibing needs, and food booths and trucks for your hungry bellies. Walking around the part of Forest park where they held the races is also quite fun. I got to meet some friendly corgi owners and most importantly, their corgis! It is a dog friendly event which means, for you non-people lovers, there is a great chance of meeting a four-legged friend or two. After the races, the inflated balloons did stick around for the general public to check out. I had a great time and got to marvel at the colorful hot air balloons. Did I mention this event is free?!

St. Louis Wine Festival is a great annual event that includes wine sampling from a selection of…read moremore than 200 wines from around the world. Live local music, food from local restaurants, and a beautiful view at the basin of Art Hill are the backdrop for the festival. Wine seminars and cooking demonstrations are also included. Ticket includes a souvenir wine glass, ten tastings, & Festival Program. This year the event will be held September 27-28, 2008. Saturday, September 27 12:00 to 7:00PM Ticket sales end at 5:30PM, alcohol sampling and sales end at 6:30PM Sunday, September 28 12:00 to 6:00PM Ticket sales end at 4:30PM, alcohol sampling and sales end at 5:30PM Advance tickets are available for $20 (purchase by 9/26/08) or $25 at the door. Order on-line http://www.stlouiswinefestival.com/InPLAY-FestivalFacts.htm or call 888-210-0074. Volunteers are also needed. Contact Fuel to sign up to volunteer for a shift and attend the event for free volunteer@fuelforthecity.org.

What an awesome event! I can't believe it's been going on for 5 years, and yesterday was my first…read moretime attending! The whole thing takes place on Art Hill. A TON of wineries participated in the event, which was neat. I'm not a huge wine person. I couldn't tell you the difference between pinot grigio and chardonnay. I don't know how to pair wines with particular foods. All I know is that I like sweet wines! Every vendor that I spoke with had representatives working who seemed to be very knowledgeable about wines, which was a plus. I tried lots of tasty wines! The entry fee isn't too bad; $25 a person, which gives you 10 tickets for 10 tastings of wine (additional tickets can be purchased for $5 per 10). This year they also had a Stella Artois beer seminar (free!) which was very interesting and informative. I have so much more respect now for (good) beer! If you're not into wine, they also had booths with food from various local restaurants, as well as live music. Super cool event! Can't wait to attend again next year!

Review for 2025. Clayton MO…read more There were fewer restaurants than I expected. There were also some vendors and shops for tshirts. I enjoyed the event but it was hot. I tried places I had not in the past. Peacemaker lobster. So good. Had the mini roll. The bread was fresh, buttery, crispy. The lobster was tasty with the right amount of mayo. Juan tacos. Birra taco was the best. Came out hot. Was not greasy at all. Very tasty. Wools get again. The chicken taco was good. The steak taco was ok. The taste frozen lemonade was very refreshing and good. The creek bros lemonade was good but the sugar crystals were interesting to chew on. Parking can be challenging in Clayton but meters are free on the weekend. There's definitely a lot of restaurants. Quite a few caterers. Some brought their own chairs, else eat while standing. There was some shade which was a welcome relief to the 98 degree heat index. Always a good time when looking to try many new things.

There should have been shaded areas to sit and enjoy the ambience, food & entertainment. Should…read morehave been better laid out similar to the Clayton Arts festival. They could have had air-mist sprayers, cooling off areas, tents, large coverings & concern for the visitors. I went on Sunday because I thought it would be a great time since Clayton is a great area for Dining, shopping. Etc... Only stayed for an hour because it felt like a big cheap food truck(s) gathering without much vision, care & empathy for families - especially with children. Saint Louis is a vastly underrated city that needs to step up for events to attract visitors, locals, farmer markets, more diverse restaurants offerings and affordable Options especially in the grueling heat walking on asphalt with no escape/shade from the 100" degree baked sun! Gus's chicken was excellent, Jon's pipe shop was great & the Make-a-wish charities did a great job!

My first time going this year, it was in Soulard this past weekend (Fri-Sat). It was great turnout…read morewith so much diversity, the weather was great, there was so much food, drinks, and music. I highly recommend you go to this next year if you have not, I have a wonderful time.

I've been going to the Hispanic Festival for the last few years and I especially like to sample all…read morethe foods and take in some good music. The festival is located downtown near the Soldiers Memorial and features Latin food booths, craft booths and a stage for music and dancing. Unfortunately this festival never seems to draw a big crowd which is too bad. The Cherokee street Cinco De Mayo Festival draws a bigger crowd, but this one is still worth checking out. This years food booths were representing Mexico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Belize, Cuba and maybe a few others that I missed. And my favorite bakery, Diana's Bakery, was representing! I go crazy over Latin music and heard some good salsa while there and enjoyed watching people dance. Drink booths offered a a variety of cervezas, maybe a few margaritas, and common soda products. I do wish they had a more authentic selection of beverages including the non-alcohol drinks, juices, etc., but I could have overlooked a few things. 3 stars for a fun time. I'm hopeful that this will grow over the next few years! If only Don Omar, Tito El Bambino, Daddy Yankee or Omega El Fuerte was performing!

I came by Craft Alliance before the holidays looking for some cute ornaments. Their selection of…read moreglass blown ornaments is beautiful and kept my tree very pretty. The people working there were very nice and helpful in teaching me about the artist and pointing out other items that might be of interest. I plan to keep these for years to come!

Took a blacksmithing class led by Andrew. We made ladles!!! It was an awesome experience and Andrew…read morewas very helpful and informative throughout the experience!!!

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.

The first annual Taste of Black St. Louis was a total success, especially after the music came on!…read more Perfect weather and amazing black owned businesses everywhere. From shaved ice to BBQ, to professional chefs, to an awesome DJ, and plenty of shopping vendors. There were so many people who came out for the first one, that may have come as a surprise because the lines for the bathrooms were really long. Maybe next year there can be more! I would have also loved to see Saint Louis Hop Shop there with some beer or booze options. The ladies with Everybody Eats STL were amazing and the event was so organized and easy to navigate from a vendors perspective.

This was excellent! I'm not sure if this was the first taste of black St. Louis that there's been…read moreor if there's been others in the past that I've never heard of but this exceeded my expectations! There were so many great restaurant vendors and retail vendors with booths in Tower Grove Park. And I was so delighted to see The yelp booth! Gotta represent! I had some delicious barbecue rib tips, spaghetti, and amazing potato salad by DOLO catering! The food was so good! And I also got a fun necklace from paparazzi jewelry and some beautiful head wraps while there! I'm so glad that this took place and I look forward to attending next year!

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!

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've been to Fair St. Louis for many years in the last decade. A lot of them were fun, but at the…read moreend of the day my thoughts were mixed. Allow me to break it down: Food: Its usually the same every year, with all those typical carnival food booths with the windows and all. But in the last few years, I think their selection has expanded. Seems they add a twist each year with some sort of new food. Food isn't cheap, so take plenty of $. On a personal note, I found the cheap sno-cones to be very satisfying especially in humid weather! As far as beer, its mostly if not 100% Budweiser as they are one of the main sponsors of Fair St. Louis. In other words, craft beer is very hard to come by. 3/5 Transportation: When it was at the Arch grounds, it was easy Metrolink access, not too far from the area. With it being at Forest Park's Art Hill now, it is still easy Metrolink access but it requires walking, bigtime. If you are taking light rail, allow yourself plenty of time because you would have to walk quite-a-ways from the Forest Park/Debaliviere station to Art Hill. It gets tiring, for people like me who are out of shape! Yes, there is parking, but from what I hear - its expensive. You can also ride your bike, which I would imagine is cheaper. 2/5 Music: As far as music, they usually have many national big-time acts (or what I call, B-and C-listers). One year it was Cyndi Lauper, then it would be Kool and the Gang, Counting Crows, and so on. Usually the lineup is set like this: a rap/hip-hop/soul kind of day, country one day and the third day, pop and rock. But not necessarily in that order. This year (2017) they had Akon, 3 Doors Down and Jake Owen headlining different nights, with bands such as Eve 6 and Sister Hazel at the bottom. Sometimes they would have an up-and-coming musical act as well. What I do like is that they usually book acts that weren't high on my priority list, but its fun to see them anyway - especially for FREE. I can't complain one bit about that. 4/5 Other entertainment: The fair has other things from the past to present such as skiing and air shows, and one year they had one of the Wallendas walk atop a high wire over the lake in Forest Park. These are all great; however, I feel this is still not enough to satisfy one that always craves something. 3/5 Fireworks: Always a winner to me, no matter what location. You'll get 10-15 minutes non-stop of spectacular fireworks. An easy 5/5. Location: Arch grounds vs. Forest Park? I'd go back to having it at the Arch. Unfortunately I don't know when that will happen, if it will. It seems that the city comes together more when it is closer to downtown and Laclede's Landing. I am aware that the Jefferson Memorial grounds will be getting a nice facelift soon, so I don't see it down the road anytime soon. Forest Park is okay, as I am also aware of its iconic status in St. Louis.

First timer at what was apparently the 16th year that they've had this in CWE…read more Not impressed. The Good: The Camaraderie The Friendliness The Behind the Scenes staff: people picking up trash, making sure that the cans were full, making sure that the booth owners were doing well, having port-a-potties. The Bad: What Taste? It was basically a lot of alcoholic specials. It also was spread out so it was hard to figure out/choose what to eat. The lack of diversity in the art booths - a lot of jewelry, not much else. What there was of art was at times uninspiring. The Ugly: The showcased wine was from Bin 36? From Chicago? WHAT? I understand wine is wine, but that makes no sense whatsoever. Have some pride in STL! We have The Vino, 33 Wine shop, Wine Press, Bridge, and the list goes on, and the best you could do was get Bin 36 from 300 miles away to sponsor?? Wow. In the end, it's a nice way to spend your time...just don't expect that much out of it.