Festivals & Events

I have become a total festival junkie since moving to St. Louis, and I can say with confidence that Cherokee Street Cinco de Mayo is my favorite festival yet! It features three stages with live music and intermittent dance performances, many restaurants and bars offering specials out on the street, and friends and families from all over the city coming together to spend time on the street that has come to be known as the focal point of Mexican-Saint Louisan culture! P.S. It is free!!!

Did you know that the first cocktail party recorded in history took place in the CWE (at what is now the Archbishop’s house) in 1917? That’s alright — you are still invited to celebrate this historic event each June in the streets of the CWE, with unique cocktails crafted by CWE restaurants, live music on two stages, and a cocktail competition! P.S. It is free!

Fair Saint Louis is an annual free summer event held at the newly renovated Gateway Arch National Park. It’s a huge, three-day Fourth of July festival that’s always crowded and a lot of fun. The park literally becomes a sea of hundreds of thousands of people lounging on beach chairs and towels while enjoying good food, live entertainment (past performers include Jason Derulo in 2018, Akon in 2017, and Flo Rida in 2016), and fireworks each night. Overall, it’s a fun St. Louis tradition and a relaxing way to spend the Fourth of July holiday with friends both in and outside of the WUSM community.

I never expected that St. Louis could be home to such a large variety of communities until I went to the Festival of Nations, where dozens of countries were represented in food, crafts, and performances. Next to the stage where dancers swing brightly colored dresses, you can start learning different languages or buy a hand-made gift. Held every year in Tower Grove Park at the end of summer, the Festival of Nations welcomes vendors, restaurants, and local community members to share various aspects of many different cultures. The festival is also a reminder of St. Louis’ historical role in welcoming refugees to the area. The International Institute is located a few blocks away, and on Grand Blvd. which borders the park, you’ll find international grocery stores and Vietnamese, Bosnian, and Afghan cuisine.

What could make a beer festival better? What if you were to replace a sticky and poorly ventilated warehouse with the streets of the Grove and Cherokee neighborhoods, and the booths and long lines with local businesses agreeing to host a brewery with plenty of standing room? Well, you would get IndiHop! Taking place every May, IndiHop costs $30 for bottomless tasters of delicious craft beers, free shuttle rides back and forth between the two neighborhoods, and a wicked good time exploring local shops!!!

After having lived in Japan for a year, I came to St. Louis really looking forward to the Japanese Festival. At the event, you’ll be able to find bonsai vendors, a variety of Japanese foods, a beautiful series of Japanese gardens, musical and cooking performances, and so much more. The festival attracts a big crowd every year, and there’s plenty to do and see while you’re there. If I’m being candid, it is not necessarily an “authentic” Japanese experience, but still worth going if you’re at all interested.

St. Louis has the honor of hosting the second largest Mardi Gras in the country (outside NOLA) in the historic Soulard neighborhood. If an early morning parade in the Midwest winter doesn’t seem like your thing, think again! My tips: wear leggings under your jeans and gloves, drink a hot (or adult) beverage to warm you up, and don’t forget to catch those beads!

Having grown up in St. Louis, I have attended this festival at least ten times. It is an awesome free night of amazing Shakespeare entertainment in Forest Park, the medical school’s backyard! Come see plays put on by a professional theater company FOR FREE. High-yield tips:

1) Bring a date that likes theater (I’ve done this a couple of times).

2) Bring a group of friends that love wine and cheese.

3) Bring a picnic basket and eat before (and during) the show!

Also, go on a night with nicer weather, since summers in St. Louis can be humid.