The St. Louis Weekend Events Guide for Thursday, March 3rd through Sunday, March 6th, 2016.

Downtown/Midtown

Arch Madness: The 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, otherwise known as Arch Madness, begins this weekend at Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis. 10 teams will play a total of nine games over the course of the weekend. The ninth game will be played on Sunday afternoon. The Missouri Valley Conference has held its Men’s Basketball Championship in St. Louis since 1991. The tournament has an estimated economic impact of $16 million each year for the city of St. Louis. That figure puts it among the city’s biggest events. The games will kick off the Bradley vs Loyola followed by Drake vs Missouri State on Thursday. Check the site for the full schedule and TBD.

Date: March 3-6
Time: Thurs: 6:05 & 8:35
Place: Scottrade Center

39th annual Builders Home & Garden Show:Six shows in one: Lawn & Garden, Pool & Spa, Kitchen & Bath, Interior Design, Sustainable Living and Building Products. More than 500 exhibitors and 1,900 booths will fill almost 400,000 square feet of America’s Center and Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis! The show has been in existence for more than 30 years and is the place for area consumers to see, touch, compare and buy everything they need for their homes and garden. Shawna Coronado is an organic gardening expert, author, columnist and blogger who will present informative gardening seminars. Attend healthy living cooking shows by Caryn Dugan, STLVegGirl. Enjoy trampolines, a Big Boy test drive, dog agility demo, and more. Adults: $10, Children ages 6-12: $4, Children 5 and under: Free

Date: March 3-6
Time:Thurs-Sat: 10am-8pm, Sun: 10am-5pm
Place: America’s Center

Hot Country Nights: Get ready to get your country on with Billy Currington performing live on the FOX Sports Midwest Live! stage as Ballpark Village continues their 92.3 WIL HOT COUNTRY NIGHTS Presented by FORD series. This is the final show in the Hot Country Night Series. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 the day of.

Date: Friday, March 4
Time: 6pm
Place: Ballpark Village – 601 Clark

St. Louis Blues Festival: Don’t miss the 11th Annual St. Louis Blues Festival featuring Sir Charles Jones, Bobby Rush, T.K. Soul, Shirley Brown, Latimore, Calvin Richardson and Nellie “Tiger” Travis. Tickets are $52-$78.

Date: Friday, March 4
Time: 8pm
Place: Chafeitz Arena – 1 S Compton

Stout & Oyster Fest: The biggest food & beer festival of the year at Schlafly. Over 50,000 fresh oysters will be flown in with teams of star shuckers from both coasts. Indulge in a variety of oysters and pair them with 5 styles of Schlafly stout: Oatmeal Stout, Coffee Stout, Nitro Irish Stout, Extra Irish Stout and Oyster Stout. The event is free and open to the public. Simply pay for whatever food and drink you would like to enjoy. Enjoy live music from Thunder Biscuit Orcehstra, Funky Butt Brass Band, Scandaleros, Boudin Brothers Band, and more.

Date: March 4 & 5
Time: Fri: 5pm-12am, Sat: 11am-12am
Place: Schlafly Tap Room – 2100 Locust

Thunder From Down Under: Australia’s Thunder From Down Under hits the Lumiere stage to showcase the chiseled bodies, seductive dance routines, cheeky humor and boy-next-door charm from these sexy performers. Thunder is a fully interactive experience with tabletop dancing and selecting a few lucky ladies to join in the fun on stage. Reserved Seating: $25, $30, or $35. Must be 21+

Date: Saturday, March 5
Time: 7pm & 9:30pm
Place: Lumiere Place – 999 N 2nd St

The River Tour: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band come to St. Louis on the 2016 River Tour. The announcement of this 9 week tour coincided with the release of “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,” a comprehensive look at the era of the 1980 “The River” album that “Rolling Stone” calls “Springsteen’s best archival release yet.” Ticket Prices are $58, $108, $153.

Date: Sunday, March 6
Time: 7:30pm
Place: Chafeitz Arena – 1 S Compton

Central

8th Annual FestivAle: FestivAle brings together beer enthusiasts to sample handcrafted, high-end beers from the Midwest’s finest brewers. The event also features a silent auction, beer-related games live entertainment and more to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. GA Admission is $50 In-Advance ($27 is tax deductible) or $65 at the door ($42 is tax deductible). Included in the ticket price are craft beer tastings, food samplings from local restaurants, live entertainment, and a keepsake tasting glass.

Date: Friday, March 4
Time: 8pm
Place: Casa Loma Ballroom – 3354 Iowa

Hare In The Air Egg Hunt: And it’s begun…Hare in the Air returns to Logan University on Saturday, March 5th. The event is free to the community and includes egg hunts for children ages 2-8 as well as fun activities for the whole family. Registration begins at 10:00am. The bunny arrives by helicopter at 11:00am. Activities include: the Easter Bunny arriving via helicopter, petting zoo, balloon artists, costumed characters, and a police car. Don’t forget your basket.

Date: Saturday, March 5
Time: 10am
Place: Logan University – 1851 Schoettler Rd

St. Charles

Moolah Shrine Parade: The 2016 circus season kicks off with the 74th Annual Shrine Circus parade. Come watch the famous little cars of all colors; of course Moolah’s famous little Yellow fleet will be there. Listen to bands of all types and interact with clowns of all shapes and sizes. Be amazed at the numerous colorful floats. Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with your family and friends as we kick start the magic of the Shrine Circus.

Date: Saturday, March 5
Time: 12pm
Place: Riverside Dr, St. Charles

Illinois

Wine & Food Festival: Enjoy our Annual Wine & Food Fest as you taste your way through our Country Store! Enjoy cooking demos and product samplings. Free wine samples will be available. Serious wine lovers will love our wine tasting room featuring local, domestic and international wines. For $20 you can experience and taste more than 30 wines and craft beers. The cooking classroom will have wonderful tastings occurring over the two-day festival.

Date: March 5 & 6
Time: 12-5pm
Place: Eckert’s – 951 Greenmount Rd

Mills Apartments