The St. Louis Guide to Weekend Events for Thursday, April 30th through Sunday, May 3rd, 2015.

Featured

Cinco de Mayo Festival: An all day celebration offering handmade art, live entertainment on 3 stages with traditional Mexican performances as well as a variety of local St. Louis bands, plus roaming street musicians, Lucha Libre Wrestling, a mechanical bull, children’s activities, delicious food from local restaurants, drinks galore including the all favorite, margarrritas! And of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without a parade! The People’s Joy Parade will start at the corner of Minnesota and Cherokee at 1:11pm and end on Texas. It includes everything from floats to colorfully painted cars, Gigante puppeteers, Elvis impersonators, Mexican wrestlers; literally everything! It’s a must see!

Date: May 2
Time: 11am-9pm
Place: Cherokee St

Thursday

Dining Out For Life: An annual dining fundraising event raising money for AIDS service organizations. This international event raised over $4.27 million nationally in 2013 to provide vital services to people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2014, the St. Louis community raised over $240,000 to help Saint Louis Effort for AIDS provide education on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and comprehensive support services for those affected by the disease.So grab your family and friends and make plans to dine out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, cocktails and more at any of our participating Dining Out For Life© restaurants where at least 25% of your check will be donated to support the work of Saint Louis Effort for AIDS.

Date: April 30
Time: All day
Place: Participating STL restaurants

St. Louis Rams Draft Day Party: Cheer on our home team at the annual Draft Day Party for the Rams. Meet and and hang out with Rams players, cheerleaders, and Rampage. The event will also feature giveaways and all the action on the 40 ft Ballpark Village TV. Don’t miss premium giveaways including season tickets, Rams ticket packages, autographed items and more. Are you ready for some football?

Date: April 30
Time: 5:30-9pm
Place: Ballpark Village – 601 Clark Ave

Friday & Saturday

Taste & Toast: The Midwest Wine Social: Raise a glass to Midwest wine at Taste & Toast, Feast Magazine’s wine social. Enjoy pours from the region’s best wineries and eats from some of the area’s best restaurants including: Balducci’s, Cleveland-Heath, Cool Cow Cheese, G&W Sausage Co., The Chaumette Winery Grapevine Grill, Haveli, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria, Oceano, and The Silly Goose. Listen to live music by Bottoms Up Blues Gang. Schlafly Beer and cocktails featuring 360 Vodka will be available to thirsty attendees as well. Meet 10+ winemakers who are crafting our local wines and taking the regional wine industry to the next level. One lucky wine lover in attendance will win a luxury wine-country getaway courtesy of Chaumette Winery in beautiful Ste. Genevieve County. Tickets: $25 general admission or $50 VIP.

Date: May 1
Time: 7-10pm
Place: Union Station – 1820 Market St

Maplewood Stringfest: Maplewood is kicking off a season of fun and free events starting with Stringfest this Friday. The fun will begin at 4pm at Citizens National Bank Park with family fun activities including live entertainment, face painting, bounce houses, and carnival games and food. Stroll along Manchester & Sutton at 6pm to hear violins, harps, fiddles, mandolins, guitars, and more from an array of musicians. VOM FASS will host a free wine tasting, along with selling wine by the glass and boozy snowcones. Enjoy food & drink sold street side by Maplewood’s award-winning restaurants. Many businesses will be hosting Open Houses, and offering special discounts and free samples and giveaways. Norton’s Fine Art & Framing wil be hosting an Art Opening. Schlafly Bottleworks will close out the evening with a post-stringfest show by The Bottlesnakes starting at 9pm in the bar.

Date: May 1
Time: 4-9pm
Place: Vom Fass – 7300 & 7314 Manchester

St. Louis Microfest: Annual beer tasting festival that offers festivals goers the chance to sample international and craft beers at 3 different session times over 2 days. The festival also includes live music, silent auction, food, live brewer and chef demonstration, and more than enough fun! Profits from the festival go toward funding Lift For Life Gym. Tickets are $50 and include: tastings from over 80 breweries and 100 international and craft brews, a commemorative tasting glass, access to cooking demonstrations and brewing discussions in our Demo Tent, live music, silent auction items for bid, and food available for purchase. There will b a Micro Run at 10am on Saturday before the first session. It’s a 2 Mile run through beautiful Forest Park and registration includes: special tasting party for Micro Run participants after the race, discount on admission to the Saturday afternoon Microfest session, and a commemorative Micro Run t-shirt.

Date: May 1 & 2
Time: Fri: 6pm, Sat 12pm & 6pm
Place: Muny Lot – Forest Park

Florissant Valley of Flowers Festival: 2015 marks the 53rd year of this annual celebration. This year’s theme “Celebrates Those Who Serve.” The parade, which takes place on Sunday, will have floats and marchers decorated to celebrate any of the many people who serve the community or others. Friday’s activities include a family circus, flea market, carnival rides, pretty baby contest, live music, food booths, Bingo, and more. Saturday includes: The VolksMarch, Car Show and Swap Meet, family circus, Bubble Bus fun, tours of the shrine, plant sale, food, and more. Sunday, after the parade, the Valley of Flowers Queen and her court will be crowned at the Knights’ pavilion. The winners of Valley of Flowers Parade, and Pretty Baby photo contest will receive their awards, and there will be a charity raffle.

Date: May 1-3
Time: Fri: 4-10pm, Sat: 11am-10pm, Sun: 11am-8pm
Place: 50 Rue Saint Francois & James Eagan Center

Foam Glow 5K: A fun filled experience exposing runners to Glowing Foam and a ton of black-lights all over the course. Glow runners can come from all different ages, shapes, sizes, and speeds. Whether you are a long term runner or a walk around the park stroller, the 3 miles of the Foam Glow 5K™ course will have you shining bright and waiting for the next run. Runners run through Foam Glow™ Zones, which are associated with a designated color: orange, pink, or blue, and get blasted with color foam that glows in the dark under high intensity black lights. The cost is $20 until April 29th and $40 after. All registrants receive a Foam Glow 5K™ Event T-Shirt and entry into the Foam Glow after party. Participants are encouraged to stick around, celebrate, and see exactly how much fun one person can handle. In most locations we will have food and festivities that will make your Foam Glowed head spin.

Date: May 2
Time: Check-in: 5pm, Race: 8pm
Place: GCS Ballpark – 2301 Grizzlie Bear Blvd, Sauget

9th Annual Baby Kid Expo: The Baby Kid Expo is THE event for busy families in the St. Louis area to experience, meet and interact with the leading children’s retail, healthcare, recreational and educational providers. The event will include: a sing-along and photos with Anna & Elsa from Frozen, a petting zoo, jugglers, a Diaper Derby, Maternity Fashion Show, a magic show and reptile show, Rams Fun Zone, performances by Arches Dance Academy and Fusion Dance Team, performances from Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sofia the First, and more. Enjoy raffles, rock climbing, interactive programs and more. Do you have the Cutest Baby? Enter your baby in the 2015 Cutest Baby Contest to win St. Louis Cardinals Tickets, a Photo Package from Ravetta Photography and a goodie bin from Babies R Us.

Date: May 2
Time: 9am-4pm
Place: St Charles Convention Center

Derby Day at 360: Enjoy the fastest two minutes in sports from 400 feet above St. Louis for the annual Derby Day Party. Savor delicious hors d’oeuvres, Mint Juleps and Four Roses Bourbon tastings. Dress to impress for a chance to win incredible prizes in our Best Dressed and Best Hat contest. Plus, bet on your favorite horse for a chance to win an incredible prize; 100% of the betting proceeds will benefit St. Patrick Center, a local non-profit that provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Derby Day Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Plus, pre purchase parking for only $8 (strongly recommended).

Date: May 2
Time: 4-6pm
Place: Three Sixty Rooftop Bar – 1 S Broadway

2015 Red Shoe Society Kentucky Derby Party: Join the Red Shoe Society for their Kentucky Derby Party to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. The Red Shoe Society is bringing the VIP atmosphere of Churchill Downs to St. Louis! The event will feature southern fare, the chance to place bets on a variety of unique silent auction items, plus great networking. Attire: Blazers and jackets with pastel collared shirts and ties for men, dresses or slacks for ladies and large-brimmed, feminine or frilly hats. “Best Dressed” will be awarded. Cost is $50 Individual Attendee or $40 for Red Shoe members. Ticket includes: Kentucky Derby-themed drinks, games and contests, silent auction, and appetizers. Must be 21+ to attend.

Date: May 2
Time: 4 – 7pm
Place: Bar Napoli – 7754 Forsyth

10th Annual Royale Kentucky Derby Party: Ladies, procure your finest Derby hat and spring dresses. Gentlemen, get your seersucker suits pressed and your hats boxed. It is time to cheer on the ponies at the 10th Annual Royale Kentucky Derby Party. We have a hat contest for both the ladies and the gents. Proper Derby dress code will be enforced. A full lineup of live music is on slate w/ Tommy Halloran Quartet & The River Kittens. Mint Juleps and featured cocktails will be available at an additional satellite bar in order to keep the cheer flowing. A limited number of advance $10 tickets(4 per person) will be available starting on 4/12 at the Royale, and there will be allotted tickets available for $12 on the day of the race. Tickets sell out so get yours in advance.

Date: May 2
Time: 2:30- 8pm
Place: The Royale – 3132 S Kingshighway

Augusta Plein Air Art Festival: Plein Air meaning “in the open air,” is a form of art created outdoors. This year’s theme of “Small Town America” will have over 100 artists scattered about the small towns of Defiance, New Melle, Washington and Augusta. Guests can observe the art unfold before their eyes each day at events hosted by wineries and neighboring communities. Unique events will be featured during the festival at a variety of locations from the Daniel Boone Home to Private Estates, with a special Day in New Melle, Day in Defiance, Day in Augusta and Night in Washington. Come enjoy Missouri wine country with the beautiful, scenic rolling hills and river bluffs; to the fun filled events of the festival and award winning wineries.

Date: April 23-May 3
Time: Times Vary
Place: Places Vary

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals play the Pirates for a 3 game series at home this weekend before playing a 4 game series against the Cubs starting Monday. Promotional items for this weekend’s games include: Portable Phone Charger presented By AT&T for the 25,000 fans on Friday night’s game, an Adult Replica Matt Carpenter Batting Practice Jersey for the first 25,000 fans ages 16 and older on Saturday’s game, and adult performance t-shirt, Kids Free Ticket Voucher, and Prairie Farms Ice Cream on Sunday.

Date: May 1-3
Time: Fri: 7:15pm, Sat & Sun: 1:15pm
Place: Busch Stadium

Sunday

Cinco K Mayo: Race To Cure Lymphoma: The 2nd annual Cinco K Mayo is a scenic 5K course that wanders through the beautiful neighborhoods of Webster Groves. The first half will be a mix of rolling hills then mostly downhill to the finish line where a breakfast burrito and refreshing margarita are waiting for YOU!. Milagro is pumped and will be ready to serve your burrito hot and fresh. That margarita will also taste really good after running a 5K. There will be a special event shirt and commemmorative shot glass for all runners, plus awards for elite runners. Plus: Steve Dixon is our new announcer and will get you pumped on race day, State Farm is returning from FLAT AS A PANCAKE and will have a photo booth and “rockem sockem” inflatable in Athlete’s Village, Precision Health will be on hand to offer massages, $25 Big River gift cards will be awarded to six people dressing in a festive Cinco de Mayo costume, and of course a great fiesta atmosphere in Athlete’s Village. Registration before May 3 is $37 or $42 on race day.

Date: May 3
Time: Registration: 6am, Race: 7:30am
Place: W Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves

23rd Annual Run For Sight: Run for Sight is the largest annual event for the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. See beyond the Finish Line Run, walk, jog, or stroll in support of services for children who are blind or visually impaired. Share the vision of creating a bright future for these remarkable young children and their families. All funds raised from the race go toward critical programming provided by the Center. Run for Sight offers something for everyone: 5k Run – Great downtown course for both serious and first-time runners, 2 Mile Walk – Take steps toward a brighter future for children who are blind or visually impaired, free Kid’s Fun Run – Lace up those shoes for a one of a kind warm-up with Ronald McDonald and short run for all kids (Approximately 1/8 mile). Enjoy post-run enterTRAINment. This celebration is sure to Fire up Your Senses! Take a ride on a miniature train, get creative at Creation Station, and enjoy music, food, and more!

Date: May 3
Time: 9am
Place: Union Station – 1820 Market St

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