It’s Labor Day! Which is both awesome and sad. Awesome because it means a 3-day weekend…it’s been too long! (Sorry in advance for those who don’t get a 3-day weekend). Yet sad because it means summer is ending and fall is just around the corner. For those of you who are naturally ghost-white like me, if you have yet to get your summer tan, you better get out this weekend. And trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities.

Artopia: Annual celebration of all things art in St. Louis. The event will include a wide range of local artists, outdoor festival area with vendors and 5 local food trucks, music from DJ Who and Mathew Dale, Bumbershoots Aerial Arts and STL Hoop Club performances, live painting and a live project by Body Art Photo Squad and fashion shows featuring models dressed in attire from local shops Retro 101, CLR MNSTR Collective, and Sugar Magnolia Boutique. GA tickets are $30 and include dessert bites and 3 drinks. VIP tickets are $50 and include two extra drinks, a catered lounge and a VIP gift bag on top of the GA ticket.

Date: Thursday, August 29th

Time: 7-11pm

Place: 2720 Cherokee – Performing Arts Center

Jillette Johnson and Kim Singer at the Firebird: The headliner, Jillette Johnson, a singer-songwriter based in New York City, plays the piano and lets her voice soar during her live performances. Kim Singer, a 19-year old singer-songwriter from the South County area just recently branched out from the world of school and church choirs. When she takes the Firebird stage on August 29th, it will only be her fourth show in public. Tickets are $12.

Date: Thursday, August 29th

Time: 8:30pm

Place: The Firebird – 2706 Olive St

Rams vs Ravens: The final pre-season game of the 2013 year will be held on Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens. Head to the Dome to cheer on your 2013 Rams. Win or lose, it was a great game against the Broncos. The rookies are showing their skills, with Austin, Ogletree and Cook all playing great and Bradford beat Manning’s QB rating. The first regular game is Sept 8th, with all fans getting a Rams rally towel. Win free tickets to a future game by checking out The Friday Vine.

Date: Thursday, August 29

Time: 7pm

Place: Edward Jones Dome

Jungle Boogie: If you haven’t seen a sea lion show, the Stingrays at Caribbean Cove, or the coolest new feature, Sea Lion Sound, then you need to spend an entire day at the zoo. In addition to all of the awesome animal exhibits, the Zoo will be hosting it’s last Jungle Boogie Concert of the 2013 year this Friday. GalaxyRed will be performing a free concert at the Schnuck’s Family Plaza in the Zoo.

Date: Friday, August 30th

Time: 5-8pm

Place: St. Louis Zoo

Friday Night Lights Street Party: A light-filled outdoor party featuring DJ Greasy and Professional Dancer Nicholas Gates from So You Think You Can Dance. Enjoy drink specials from Westport Plaza restaurants and mingle with Z107-7’s Curt Copeland. After the party, head to Trainwreck Saloon for Ultra Violets and Patrick’s for The Robert Jordan Band.

Date: Friday, August 30th

Time: 8-11pm

Place: Westport Plaza

Po’ Boy Festival: Broadway Oyster Bar hosts it’s annual Po’Boy Festival this weekend. What’s in store for you: Delicious food, (hopefully) amazing weather, and of course great enterainment. In fact, here’s the line-up: Friday – Phillip Colombatto 5-8pm and Rhythm Section Road Show 10pm-2am, Saturday: All  Roostered Up 1-4pm and Bottom’s Up Blues Gang’s 3000th Show & FolknBluesGrass’ Reunion Show 10pm-2am.

Date: August 30-31

Time: 6-11pm

Place: Broadway Oyster Bar – 736 S. Broadway

Midwest Wingfest: The best wing festival in the St. Louis area. Not only are the number of vendors and the entertainment being doubled, you can expect food items ranging from pulled pork to chili dogs to just about anything you can dream of. Enter the wing eating competition for a chance to win $100. Join the 5K Chicken Run at 7am. $100 goes to the best dressed chicken. Or just come and enjoy the fun and festivities.

Date: Friday, August 30th-Saturday, August 31st

Time: Fri: 5-11pm, Sat: 11am-11pm

Place: St. Clair Square Mall, Fairview Heights, IL

Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival: The 3rd annual event allows artists to showcase their talents in a unique way. Anyone can participate. Entry fee for adults (18+) is $10 teens age 13-18 is $8 and $6 for children 12 and under. Come out and show St. Louis your skills. The categories this year are: Best of The Loop Theme, Chalk of Fame, Most Creative, and Chalk Land.  The winning artists in each category will be featured on The Loop’s website with photos of their winning artwork, artistic biographies, and links to their portfolios or personal websites. Winners will also receive cash prizes, as well as gift certificates from a variety of Loop businesses. Not an artist? Come out and watch the art in progress and enjoy a nice stroll along the Delmar Loop.

Date: Saturday, August 31st (rain date- Sept 1)

Time: 9am-5pm

Place: Chuck Berry Statue – 6555 Delmar

Forks and Corks: An upscale, free event featuring delicious cuisine from the finest area restaurants such as Charlie Gitto’s, Balaban’s, East Coast Pizza, Schnucks, Scarecrow, Edgewild Winerary, Oceano’s, Windowsills Cafe & Sarah’s Cake Shop, to name a few! Quench your thirst with a wide selection of wines and regional craft beers and be entertained in the artist village and by the great music acts: Woo Daddies, Irie Sun, Smokey Lonesome, Kim Massie, and Groove Thang with fireworks to end the night. Tasting booklets are 6 tickets for $15 for Food and 6 tickets for $15 for wine/beer tastings.

Date: Saturday, August 31st

Time: 3-10pm

Place: Chesterfield Amphitheater

Comedy Night at The Dubliner: Almost every weekend you can head up to the Leinster Room on the 2nd  floor of The Dubliner to see some great stand-up comedy. This weekend, check out The Fryman. A twenty year comedy veteran, he has appeared on NBC and BET’s Comicview. He can be heard regularly on Sirrius and XM radio. He’s appeared at many comedy clubs and colleges around the country. Check out his website for some videos. Cost is $10 (no drink minimum). Also on the bill are Chris Smith and Dan Chopin.

Date: Saturday, August 31st

Time: 8:30pm

Place: The Dubliner – 1025 Washington Ave

Big Muddy Blues Festival: 3 Stages. 30 Bands. 20 Hours of Music. The region’s largest Blues music event, now in it’s 18th year, is hosted on Laclede’s Landing, with the ‘big muddy’ as its backdrop. Big Muddy provides a platform for a wide range of artists who represent extensions of the Blues genre such as soul, R&B, rockabilly, gospel, and jazz. The line-up includes: Reverend Horton Heat, Jeremiah Johnson Band, Big Mike Aguirre, Soulard Blues Band, David Clayton Thomas and many more. GA tickets are $13/day. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Date: Saturday, August 31st-Sunday, Sept 1st

Time: 1pm-11pm

Place: Laclede’s Landing – Downtown

2nd Annual Riverfront Paint Off:  The Riverfront paint off is a week long painting event on Main Street in Historic St. Charles. Beginning on Sept 1st, watch artists create paintings and see their artwork displayed in local galleries.  The artists will display their final artwork at Picasso’s Coffee House as the guest artists for the month of September. Stay for an evening of jazz, courtesy of the St. Charles Community Big (Jazz) Band. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy free music in Frontier Park.

Date: Sunday, Sept 1st

Time: 7pm-12am

Place: Picasso’s Coffeehouse – 101 N Main, St. Charles

Fall Art Fair at Queeny Park: Over 130 juried artists from 20 states will join the 2013 Queeny Park Art Fair. One of the most reputable, longest-running art fairs in the bi-state region, it presents the public an opportunity to see and purchase original works of fine art and fine craft directly from the artists who create them.  In addition to the art, there will be wine tastings from Three Squirrels Winery, gift certificate drawings and a children’s art discovery adventure. Admission is $5. Visit the website for a $1 off coupon.

Date: Friday, August 30th-Sunday, Sept 1st

Time: Friday: 6-9pm, Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun: 11am-4pm

Place: Greensfield Rec Center – 550 Weidman Rd, Ballwin

37th Annual Japanese Festival: So many things to see, so little time. The annual Botanical Garden festival, one of the largest and oldest festivals of its kind in the United States, celebrates the history, culture, and people of Japan. There will be more than 125 opportunities to learn about the culture, art, beauty, food, and music of Japan, from Akido to Anime, Bonsai, Origami, Sumo and so many more. Check the website for the entertainment schedule.

Date: Saturday, August 31st-Monday, Sept 2nd

Time: Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm, Mon: 10am-5pm

Place: Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Nicolas Greek Festival: At the 96th Annual Greek Festival, you will experience a taste of Greece with delicious foods such as gyros, moussaka, spanakopita and baklava, live entertainment with music by The Fabulous Grecian Keys and folk dancing by the St. Nicholas Greek Dancers, and a gift shop featuring imported items from Athens. New to this year is a kick-off event at the Beer Garden on Friday night. Admission is free.

Date: Friday, August 30th – Monday, Sept 2nd

Time: Friday Beer Garden: 5-9pm, Sat & Sun: 11am-9pm, Mon: 11am-8pm

Place: Forest Park – 4967 Forest Park Ave

Gateway Cup: 4 days of racing through the neighborhoods of St. Louis. Friday, watch the races in Lafayette Park, Saturday in Francis Park, Sunday in The Hill and Monday in Benton Park. In addition to the races, there will be recreational charity rides benefiting The Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments, Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis, Trailnet, and Helmets First, plus fun rides for kids. After the races, hit the after-parties: Atomic Cowboy will be hosting an after party on Saturday night with free Chips & Salsa, $3 Draft Beer and a DJ. Grab a cooler and lawn chair and head out to your favorite neightborhood to cheer on the 22nd edition Gateway Cup.

Date: Friday, August 30th-Monday, Sept 2nd

Time: Check the website for times

Place: Lafayette Square, Francis Park, The Hill and Benton  Park

Labor Day Parade: The annual parade through the streets of downtown St. Louis. The parade begins East on Olive & 15th Street to Tucker, South on Tucker to Market, West on Market to 15th Street.

Date: Monday, September 2nd

Time: 9am

Place: Begins at 15th and Olive – Downtown

 36th Annual JCC Labor Day Run and Kids Triathlon: One of the toughest, hilliest 10k and 5k courses in St. Louis. Run along the rolling hills of Creve Coeur and St. Louis County.  Your registration fee includes professional timing by FLEET FEET, complimentary massage/stretching, a commemorative performance shirt, a complimentary day pass to the “J” and a huge breakfast spread at the finish line. Cost: 10K and 5K: $25. Kid’s Triathlon: $45

Date: Monday, Sept 2nd

Time: 7:30am 

Place: Staenberg Family Complex – 2 Millstone Campus Drive

 

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, St. Louis!

 

 Brought to you by Mills Properties