Can’t Miss Festivals and Events in the Lou
Discover vibrant food and drink, music, art, and more all year long at one of many signature festivals and events in St. Louis.
Dive into the festivities, then unwind in the comfort of your room where our top-notch accommodations and prime location ensure an unforgettable stay.
Festival Highlights
Soulard Mardis Gras
January, February, March, 2025
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the nation’s second-largest Mardi Gras celebration takes place in Soulard, the St. Louis neighborhood with a French name that means “drunkard” when translated into English. With boozy drinks and delectable eats, colorful beads, and epic events – including the world’s largest parade of costumed pets – Mardi Gras in St. Louis will exceed your expectations.
Art in Bloom
February 28 to March 2, 2025
Art in Bloom, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s annual celebration of flowers and fine art, remains one of the most arresting signature events in the region. With every iteration, dozens of works from the museum’s collection are imaginatively interpreted through floral designs by the area’s most talented florists. In addition to the floral displays, the festival includes special ticketed events, family activities, dining, and shopping.
St. Patrick’s Day
March 17, 2025
From festive parades to fun runs to green beer, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Gateway City. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade fills the streets of downtown St. Louis with elaborate floats, colorful balloons, and marching bands. There are also multiple races throughout the region – may the luck of the Irish be with you! On the big day, though, Dogtown is the place to be. The neighborhood hosts its own parade and festival to highlight the unique spirit and vibrant history of the area.
St. Louis Earth Day Festival
April 26 & 27, 2025
The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is a community tradition. At the two-day event, guests learn about sustainable products and services offered by area businesses and organizations. Whether you come for the activities, the food or the music, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival will leave you feeling inspired by the real progress being made to preserve our planet.
Cinco de Mayo Cherokee Street Festival
May 5, 2025
Every year, more than 100 vendors pack Cherokee Street for the Cinco de Mayo Street Festival. The stalls offer everything from traditional Mexican street food to margaritas served in real pineapples to eye-catching apparel. The festival footprint, which stretches from South Jefferson to Nebraska avenues, also features two stages with all-day entertainment for a variety of interests. Laumeier Art Fair
May 10, 2025
For three days every year, you can shop for one-of-a-kind artwork, savor tasty food and drinks, enjoy live music and entertainment and get creative with hands-on activities at one of the most unique attractions in St. Louis. Laumeier Sculpture Park is one of the first and largest dedicated sculpture parks in the U.S. – and the perfect setting for this exciting event. Attracting more than 17,000 patrons annually, the Laumeier Art Fair showcases 150 juried artists from across the country, who exhibit work in 10 media categories: ceramics, fiber/textiles, glass, jewelry, 2D mixed media, painting, photography/digital, printmaking/drawing, sculpture and wood.
Opera Theater of the St. Louis Festival Season
May & June, 2025
As part of its mission to ensure a vibrant future for opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis hosts an annual festival season. Through the talents of hundreds of local, national and international artists, the company offers a signature mix of beloved classical operas and bold contemporary works. Audiences experience the magic of innovative storytelling as they travel between fantasy and reality, comedy and tragedy, love and revenge. All the operas are sung in English and accompanied by the Grammy Award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
May & June, 2025
Shakespeare has never sounded so good! Every year, the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival stages one of the great writer’s plays in Forest Park under the stars. All performances are free and open to the public, so grab a blanket, pack a picnic, and find your spot in the grass of Shakespeare Glen.
Whitaker Music Festival
May to July 2025
The Missouri Botanical Garden is an idyllic place to listen to live music. On Wednesday evenings throughout the summer, the garden hosts free, open-air concerts as part of the annual Whitaker Music Festival. To date, more than one million people have participated in the cherished St. Louis tradition, which promotes common heritage, celebrates diversity, and encourages vitality within the community. Visitors can bring their own picnics, and food, beer, wine, and sno-cones will be available for purchase.
Pridefest
June 2025
During PrideFest, local, national, and international talent grace the main stage; vendors dot the lawn between St. Louis City Hall and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum; and The Hive welcomes people aged 25 and younger to talk, listen, dance,e and celebrate Pride in a safe space. Every year, the spirited celebrations culminate in the Grand Pride Parade, which draws thousands of revelers to downtown St. Louis. PrideFest events are open to the queer community and its allies. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our uniqueness and uplift each other.
Blues at the Arch
August 2025
Blues at the Arch will keep you in the groove until the end of summer. Hosted by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, in partnership with the National Blues Museum and the National Park Service, Blues at the Arch pays tribute to St. Louis’ storied blues history and showcases the talents of local and national artists. Held at Gateway Arch National Park, the free music festival is the only one of its kind to take place on national park grounds.
Taste of St. Louis
August 2 - 4, 2025
Taste of St. Louis offers a flavor-filled weekend for foodies, friends, and families alike. Held at Ballpark Village, the festival boasts more than 30 local eateries, and eventgoers can order everything from snack-size samples to complete entrées. Taste of St. Louis also features culinary exhibits, local merchandise vendors, and live music.
Festival of Nations
August 23 - 24, 2025
The beauty of St. Louis lies in the diversity of its people. At Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park, we celebrate the myriad cultures that make up the Gateway City, honoring each other’s individuality, rejoicing in our differences, and cultivating a more prosperous region for all. Bringing an energy that you can’t find anywhere else, Festival of Nations, produced by the International Institute of St. Louis, is the region’s largest multicultural event of the year, representing more than 75 nations. Here, you can ignite your senses with cuisines from around the world, dance to music spanning genres, shop international and local arts and goods, and do it all with purpose.
