Calling all Foodies – It’s time for Taste of Maplewood! This is one of my favorite food festivals (mostly for the deep fried twinkies from last year) because of all the different types of food, the Schlafly beer selection, all the cute dogs that attend, and the unique shops in the area that also participate. I love that the main strip in Maplewood offers so many locally owned boutiques with fabulous offerings. This weekend they are showing off their stuff.
Here are the details:
When: Saturday, May 19th
Where: Sutton Boulevard (just South of Manchester)
Time: Noon – 9:00pm
Click here to see all the participating venues. And now for the entertainment…
Main Stage Entertainment
12:30-1:45 p.m. The Blue Devils Rhythm & Blues Band
3:30-5:30 p.m. The Funky Butt Brass Band
6:30-8:30 p.m. Hudson and The Hoo Doo Cats
Community Stage
12:15-1:15 p.m. Studio Forte
1:45-2:30 p.m Piwacket Theatre for Children
3:00-3:45 p.m. Three Rivers Aikido
4:00-6:00 p.m. Focal Point
Make sure to bring your sunscreen and your dancing shoes – it should be 90 degrees and sunny on Saturday!
Art, wine tastings, great food, hayrides…but most importantly art. May kicks off the spring and summer season of Art Fairs in and around St. Louis with three big ones.
May 11-13th
First up (and located at one of my favorite St. Louis treasures) Laumeier Sculpture Park is holding it’s 25th annual Mother’s Day weekend Art Fair. Over 700 applications are submitted and only 150 artists are accepted. Admission is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.
Friday from 6-10; Saturday 10-8; Sunday 10-5
Friday kicks off with Art of Wine; for $12.00 enjoy music and get unlimited tastings from area wineries. (Um, this is where I will be). Saturday and Sunday will feature the Creation Location with hands-on activities for kids and performances by artists. There is a Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday but it is sold out.
May 18-20th
Next Weekend is the famed Art on the Square. This is totally worth crossing the river, for a nationally recognized art fair this is arguably the biggest event of the year in Belleville.
Friday 5-9; Saturday 10-8; Sunday 11-5. This event is $FREE
Large interactive children’s area with take away projects, local food, and entertainment. This fair has been ranked as #1 in the country.
May 19th
Faust Fine Art & Folk Festival combines two events into one, often called the Folk and Fine Art Festival – you get your bang for the buck.
Saturday 10-5 and only $5.00
Take a hay ride to an 1800′s village and enjoy tours and demonstrations of blacksmithing, pottery, rope making, and other arts and crafts. While at the event check out the fine art at the juried art, live music, food, and free rides on the carousel.
Choose one or choose them all, they are all juried shows with excellent art. My top pick is Laumeier because I love the park but my aunt has been attending Art on the Square for years.
I love to travel! However, I’ve never been a fan of driving for long periods of time. My biggest fear is to fall asleep at the wheel. I would much rather take a plane to my destination. Its been said that planes are safer than driving. You have a greater chance at dying from a car crash than in a plane. Recently I went on a road trip with my husband and my son. We took a college road trip to Ohio Wesleyan University. This is my son’s school of choice for his college career. It’s a long 7hr. drive from St. Louis to Ohio. My husband who works rotating shifts for Anheuser Busch, took the first driving shift. Due to his crazy work schedule, I knew he wouldn’t be able to last very long. After about 2 1/2 hrs. he was ready to release the steering wheel over to me. I always get a little nervous before taking the wheel. After all, I’m carrying precious cargo….my family! The first 2 hrs. were fine, but soon after I began to feel my eyelids getting a little heavy.
I think there’s something about those little white lines that hypnotize you into the need for a deep sleep.
In an effort to make it safely to Ohio, I used the following road trip remedies:
1. Turned up the a/c
2. Loud Music
3. Singing (that will also help keep your passengers awake)
4. Splashing cold water on your face
5. Stretching your eyelids
6. Twisting in your seat
7. Rolling down the windows
8. Adjusting the seat
9. An ocassional pit stop to get out and stretch
These things allowed me to make it those last 3hrs. Is there an art to driving for long periods of time? I know there are some who fear plan rides and routinely choose to drive. What do you do when your road trip is over 7hrs.?
Photo courtesy of literarylifeline.comBrought to you by Mills Properties Inc.
Apparently Saturday, April 7th has been dubbed the 2012 International Pillow Fight Day. Quoting from their website “On Saturday, April 7th there will be massive pillow fights in cities around the world!”
Ok, seriously! Can you think of anything cooler?? I’m sorry my punctuation marks are getting excessive, but this is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.
STL Improv Anywhere has put together the pillow fight for St. Louis. It will be at Cricket Field in Forest Park at 6pm on Saturday. It only goes for an hour so don’t be late. It’s open to everyone, all ages.
Of course, with an event as unique as this, there must be rules established, and I think they are very reasonable:
No excessive violence. This is a playful, fun in St. Louis event. (don’t be mean)
Soft pillows only-No zippers, snaps, buttons, etc (just take the pillow case off or go buy a cheap pillow case)
Do not swing at anyone without a pillow or anyone with a camera
Remove glasses (they state no one is liable for any damages to you or your belongings other than you)
No Feathers….(yeah right)
Don’t leave your pillows behind
Be cool
I’m adding this one-Don’t bring your pets-that should just be common sense
In addition to the rules, here are a couple helpful tips I came up with after watching the video:
Wear goggles or something to protect your face
If you are allergic to feathers, DO NOT ATTEND!
Do not try the makeshift pillow ball-and-chain swinging style…it doesn’t seem to work
Stay near small children, it seems you’re less likely to get hurt
Dress like a crazy person! (they say bunny costumes and capes are encouraged)
If you have a short temper or violent nature, this may not be the event for you
If you are interested in attending but want to know what the turn out will be in advance, they created a Facebook groupso you can check out who’s attending, how many are invited, share it and invite your friends, etc. I checked yesterday and there were about 600 invites, 60 people attending, 40 maybes.Check out the video of the 2011 NYC Pillow Fight. It looks amazing!
This Saturday brings us the flagship event of the Mardi Gras season in St. Louis, the River City Casino Grand Parade. Attendance varies greatly based on the weather, but I guarantee you there will be a lot of people down in Soulard. Parade starts at 11am over by Busch Stadium and runs south along Broadway to Anheuser-Busch. The best places to actually be close to the parade and see everying will be closer to the start or end of the parade. The thicker crowds will likely be between the Soulard Farmer’s Market and Russell Blvd in Soulard. Keep in mind that while crowds may be lighter on the East side of Broadway along the parade route, you won’t be able to cross over into Soulard while the parade is going on.
Here are a list of things that will keep you from looking like an idiot on Saturday:
Bring cash. ATMs have been brought in for the occasion, but get cash before you come down, even if it is just to avoid service fees. Some booths will be accepting plastic using Square, but still it is advised you bring cash.
Have a plan. Sure, you could just wander around and pay full price for beer and food. Why not get your ticket to the Bud Light Party Tent- $100. Don’t let the price fool you, this is worth every penny. The heated tents hold 2,000 people and plenty of portable bathrooms are available only to those with the wristbands. If you haven’t been down before, you know this alone is worth the money. Also, it’s all-inclusive so, eat and drink away. You must order by Friday at 5pm, no sales at the door. Here’s a list of some other packages available. Also, the Soulard Oktoberfest organization is throwing a party right off Russell.
Read the DO’s and DON’Ts. Don’t plan on bringing a backpack full of food and snacks. Not allowed. Drinks should all be in plastic cups or the like.
Bring a camera. As someone who has read up and prepared for the day, you don’t want to miss capturing memories of those who didn’t. Yes, I know your phone can take pictures, but you don’t want to drain your battery. That leads me to my next suggestion.
Charge your phone, but don’t rely on it. While AT&T and Verizon both have rolled in temporary towers for the festitivities, you never know how service is going to be.
Remember people live in Soulard. If you get busted doing something you wouldn’t do in your own neighborhood, be prepared to pay the price.
Get in line before you actually have to use the bathroom. This one will take some planning, but you really don’t want to be at the back of a line 20 deep when you really have to go. If you have ever been in that situation, the $100 packages with private bathrooms look like a steal. Soulard residents have been known to keep buckets of water or hoses handy to deal with those using their alley or siding like a dog uses a tree. While the weather looks like it will be nice on Saturday, I bet being drenched still wouldn’t be pleasant.
If you didn’t read any of the things I wrote above, at least watch this video
Both iLoveSoulard and @STLMardiGras will be updated throughout the day with pertinent information and pictures
The most important thing on Saturday is to have fun responsibly. Believe me, there are far too many repercussions from not being responsible.
Reminder: If you are a Soulard resident and didn’t get your parking permit in the mail, make sure to run by the Mardi Gras Inc office to pick yours up. Don’t try to swing by there on Saturday morning…it will be too late.
Do you have anything to add? Any questions or comments?
Next weekend is the “big weekend” for Mardi Gras season in St. Louis with the River City Casino Grand Parade stepping off on Saturday, Feb. 18th. That parade is the largest in the St. Louis region and is the cornerstone event for Mardi Gras Inc.’s 14-event festival season. But, that’s next weekend.
The Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard features 32 establishments serving food and Southern Comfort products on Saturday and Sunday. Ticket booklets are $25 and include 6 tickets for food from any of the participating venues and 1 Southern Comfort drink. The full menu is available on the website, so pasting it here would require me to punch myself in the face for committing a party foul. Considering I love Soulard, I say you need to hit this event up. You can buy tickets online before the event or at any of the participating establishments on the day of. Do yourself a favor and check out the menu. If you don’t feel the need to buy a ticket after that, you must be one of those weird compulsive dieters who doesn’t like food.
The Supplement Superstores Run For Your Beads 5K happens Saturday morning. Some people like running. This event is for them. Some people like to work up an appetite for Taste. This event is for them too. If you are familiar with other Mardi Gras events, you know this won’t be your typical 5K. Expect the break stations to be offering something other than water to get you through the race.
The Beggin’ Pet Parade is the highlight of the season for many in the area. Have a pet? Dress ‘em up and walk them in the parade. $10 to register and all of the proceeds go to Open Door Animal Sanctuary. Don’t have a pet to put in the parade? Come down and watch anyways. Parade starts at 1pm Sunday. Details are available on the website. A press release from the event sponsors, Nestle Purina, touted the figures of 8,000 pets in the parade and 80,000 people involved or watching the parade. Organizers are attempting to set the Guinness World Record for “Most Dogs in Costumed Attire”. If you can, register your pet online before Friday at 5pm, but you can also register at the event. Pets must be kept on a leash and be up to date on vaccinations.
The first heat in the PetSmart Wiener Dog Derby races at 2pm Sunday, just after the Pet Parade. $10 to register your dachshund to race or free to watch.
If you are in the St. Louis area this weekend, you need to head down to Soulard for one or more of these events. If you are already planning on going and you use Twitter, be sure to take plenty of pictures of your little one and tweet them out using the hashtag #stlmg. The Mardi Gras Inc crew will be keeping an eye on the feed all day and retweeting the best.
Calling all Foodies – It’s time for Taste of Maplewood! This is one of my favorite food festivals (mostly for the deep fried twinkies from last year) because of all the different types of food, the Schlafly beer selection, all the cute dogs that attend, and the unique shops in the area that also participate. I love that the main strip in Maplewood offers so many locally owned boutiques with fabulous offerings. This weekend they are showing off their stuff.
Next weekend is the “big weekend” for Mardi Gras season in St. Louis with the River City Casino Grand Parade stepping off on Saturday, Feb. 18th. That parade is the largest in the St. Louis region and is the cornerstone event for Mardi Gras Inc.’s 14-event festival season. But, that’s next weekend.
