Orchid Show – February 1st to March 9th
Missouri Botanical Garden – Included with Garden admission
Escape to a tropical paradise filled with hundreds of colorful blooming orchids as the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center’s Emerson Conservatory is transformed for this once-a-year display of selections from the Garden’s historic collection.
For most of the year, the Garden’s permanent orchid collection lives in greenhouses, where they are cared for by horticulture staff. The annual Orchid Show is your once-a-year opportunity to see hundreds of these blooming plants on public display.
The Garden’s vast orchid collection includes well over 5,000 individual plants representing nearly 700 unique kinds of orchids. Nearly one in ten orchids in the collection is threatened or endangered. Different species bloom at different times, so the Orchid Show is constantly changing as new orchids come into bloom and are brought out on display.
While viewing the Orchid Show, you can also enjoy the new, permanent living collections that surround the orchids in the new Emerson Conservatory. These plantings include species from Mediterranean climates around the world, such as California, South Africa, Western Australia, Chile, and the Mediterranean itself.
Black History Month: Joy, Arts, Community – Throughout February
Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall – 5-8pm
Thursday Nights at the Museum is a weekly series where the museum exhibits are open late and you can enjoy pop-up activities, a cash bar, food and more!
Join 5 On Your Side anchors Kelly Jackson and Brent Solomon for a conversation about Black joy and the arts in the Gateway city with some of St. Louis’s groundbreaking leaders in dance, visual art, music, and writing. Featured artists include:
- Mykael Ash — Painter and muralist
- Lamar Harris — Acclaimed trombonist
- Yvonne Osei — Multidisciplinary artist
- Robert Poe — Artistic Director, Ballet 314
- Alicia Revé Like — Actor, Singer/Songwriter
- Stephon Riggins — Spoken word poet
- Tracy Stanton — Spoken word poet
- Tiala Taylor — Dancer and choreographer
Join us in the Grand Hall before our main-stage event to enjoy food and drinks available for purchase from the Key Bistro. Visit resource tables to learn more about Black arts and artists in St. Louis history. Uncover stories of Black arts and history in our galleries with a Black history scavenger hunt and enjoy other arts-themed activities.
Schedule
- 5–7pm | Food and drinks available for purchase from the Key Bistro.
- 5:00–6:30pm | Visit resource tables, tackle the Black history scavenger hunt, and enjoy other arts-themed activites.
- 6:30–8:00pm | Head to the Lee Auditorium to listen to KSDK anchors talk with Black dancers, musicians, visual artists, and poets as they share their thoughts and perspectives on Black joy, arts, and community.
Come back for more! Thursday Nights at the Museum are sometimes the most fun, sometimes the most thought-provoking, and always the most interesting night of your week. The museum exhibits are open late, and you’ll enjoy cash bar and food for purchase, pop-up activities, concerts, lectures, and more.
ASL interpretation is available for programs with two weeks’ advance notice. Please email access@mohistory.org to request ASL interpretation or with other accessibility questions.
Run for your Beads 5K – February 22, 2025 starting at 9am
Soulard (starts at 8th & Lafayette) – $40
There is only one race that is as fun-filled, colorful and slightly wacky as Mardi Gras: The Run for Your Beads 5K. That means you’ll enjoy all the fun with:
- run through historic scenery of Soulard starting (and ending) at Soulard Market Park
- mid-race pitstop stocked with hurricanes for legally aged runners
- run through the Anheuser-Busch Brewery past the World-Famous Clydesdales
- post-race ceremony at the Bud Light Party Centre with a complimentary Michelob Ultra or Hurricane
- commemorative t-shirt
After the race, you can join us for Taste of Soulard. Enjoy a discounted rate on up to two Taste of Soulard booklets ($5 savings). Must be purchased at the time of registering online for the 5k.
STL Coffee Fest – February 22nd
18 Rails at the City Foundry STL – Tickets starting at $25
Why rush through your morning when you can savor it all day? STLCoffeeFest invites you to experience the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that knows no time zone. STLCoffeeFest is a celebration of coffee culture for the Coffee Enthusiasts and the Caffeine Curious.
Barista 101 Classes: Tickets for the small-group interactive classes (as explained on the ABOUT page) are sold separately from the VIP and general admission tickets. You do not need to attend the coffee festival in order to attend a class.
Purina Pet Parade – February 23rd
Soulard – Free to Watch
At the world’s largest costumed pet parade, we combine all the fun of Mardi Gras with all the AWWWWs that the most adorable parade participants deserve. It is free to watch and easy to head straight to the Taste of Soulard or Wiener Dog Derby after the parade ends.
If you have a precious pet who belongs in the parade, register your furry friend beforehand online or on the day of the event at 12th and Allen so you both can strut your stuff in style. After the parade, stick around to listen to Greylan James at 3:30 pm @ Lafayette and 8th Streets on the Bud Light Concert Stage for a FREE performance.
All proceeds from the Purina Pet Parade will benefit Open Door Animal Sanctuary.
Soul Train Gospel Music Revival – In Celebration of Black History Month – February 28th
City Winery – Tickets start at $25
City Winery St. Louis presents Soul Train Gospel Music Revival – In Celebration of Black History Month live on February 28th at 7:30pm!
All aboard black history month with Jai Brenai Productions as they give a high spirited soul experience! Travel through the creativity of Jayonna Sims as she takes this music soul train through the timeline of gospel music.
This tribute show salutes negro spirituals/hymns, Quartet music, Gospel ensembles, Choirs, female groups and more! Hear your favorite Gospel song from traditional to contemporary! Get ready to cry, clap and sing along when you hear your favorite gospel song!
Enjoy soul stirring singers, dynamic praise dancers and a powerful live band. An exuberant experience that the whole family can experience. A unforgettable night filled with feel good music and soul!
Kindly note there is a $25 minimum spend on food and beverage per person for this show. Enjoy food and drinks at your table during the show or in our restaurant or bar before the show. For more information, please see our FAQs.
Bud Light Grand Parade – March 1st at 1pm
Soulard – FREE
This event is the crown jewel of the Soulard Mardi Gras season and the biggest parade outside of the Big Easy. The krewes get rolling near Busch Stadium, but the real fun starts at Chouteau, where the crowds begin lining the streets. From there, the parade winds through Downtown South and Soulard, all the way to the iconic Anheuser-Busch Brewery—home to where your beer was born. See link for entry points.
Follow Explore St.Louis or WashU Happenings for more things to do in the Lou!