Bicentennial ArtFest and Ice Cream Social
Happy Birthday Missouri! August 10, 2021 is the 200th anniversary of statehood. StL Arts Chamber, artists and arts organizations are throwing a party. Join us for the ArtFest and Ice Cream Social on August 7th from 10AM to 2PM from Grand Center through the Hodiamont Greenway to the Delmar Loop for art, performance and ICE CREAM!
We are going for the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest ice cream social and need your help. The current record is 962 participants in an ice cream social in Italy. With Bold Spoon Creamery and Baked Bear selling ice cream, certainly, St. Louis can top that! After all, the ice cream cone was popularized right here at the 1904 World’s Fair.
Thinking of the 1904 World’s Fair, did you know that Meet Me in St. Louis was actually written and set in the Academy Neighborhood, one of the neighborhoods along the Hodaimont Greenway? Join the St. Louis Public Library at the ArtFest to find out more and have some fun.
Some of the fun to watch for includes performances by Shakespeare Festival, Blues and Jazz musicians, a children’s street dance competition with Consuming Kinetics Dance Company, a parade by Joy Parade and so much more.
The map of the festivities and locations of programming will be posted here soon.
And, keep watching as we are adding other locations to our ArtFest and Ice Cream Social birthday bash!
Wildwood Historical Society 2021 Historical Calendar
The theme for the Wildwood Historical Society 2021 Calendar is Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Missouri Statehood. Each month will feature a different focus of Missouri History and its occurrence in the area that now comprises the City of Wildwood. The Wildwood Historical Society calendars always focus on some facet of history as it applies to the present-day area of the City of Wildwood. Our past calendars (in recent years) have addressed the following topics as they apply to present-day Wildwood: The Civil War, One-Room Schoolhouses, Early Churches, WWI and WWII. Our calendars are free of charge and are widely distributed to the public, businesses schools and churches in the area.
Florissant Valley of Flowers Festival 2021
Spring marks the 59th celebration of the Valley of Flowers Festival. Scheduled for May 7-9, 2021, this Florissant family-oriented event, the North County’s “first festival of spring” features a variety of attractions, highlighted by the Grand Parade and by the crowning of Florissant’s Queen and Court. Activities during the three-day festivities will appeal to all ages. Carnival games, exciting rides as well as rides especially for the younger fans will be featured at the Duchesne Home Association Fairgrounds. At the James. J. Eagan Center fair-goes will find a flower and plant sale, culturally diverse performances, a vendor/craft fair, a pretty baby photo contest, and children’s activities. The Grade Parade leads to the crowning of the Valley of Flowers Queen and Court. The parade decorations and floats reflect the theme for that year, with more than 100 units participating.
Celebrate Wildwood – 25+1!
Join us on September 25, 2021, for Celebrate Wildwood — the City of Wildwood’s annual celebration, held in commemoration of its anniversary of incorporation. Last year, 2020 marked the City’s 25th anniversary. Since 2020’s festival was cancelled due to COVID, this year’s festival theme will be “25+1!” It is the hope that this will be a large-scale public event with a parade, kids’ activities, local authors, live music, food and drinks, local organizations booths and demonstrations, Civil War reenactors, a Scouting area, and an art festival. The event is all about the community!
Save Allen Cemetery
PAST EVENT
Allen Cemetery is a nearly 200-year-old cemetery located between Franklin and St. Louis County. The cemetery contains dozens of Civil War and WW1 burials, interments of pioneering families of Missouri, and even MLB player Bob Klinger and his family. An organized clean-up and preservation day was held on April 27, 2019. Multiple local organizations joined together to help clean up this treasured landmark. It is relevant to Missouri 2021’s mission because, through this restoration effort, we helped to keep a physical tie to this critical crossroad of Missouri. In 1826, many pioneering families traveling between St. Louis and Franklin County did not reach their final destination. Several of those pioneering families later had descendants that remained in this area who then served our country in the wars that followed, such as the Allens, Shoults, Wenglers, Brockmeiers, Whitworths and many more.
St. Louis City/County Biographies
In honor of Missouri’s 200th birthday in 2021, St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS) is honoring the St. Louis men and women who played a part in Missouri history through its St. Louis City/County Biographies project. More than 170 biographies have already been posted and can be viewed on the St. Louis Genealogical Society website. Profiles of St. Louis ancestors from StLGS members and nonmembers alike are welcomed. Submissions will be posted on the StLGS website. The project is endorsed by Missouri 2021. To view the biographies or for more information on how to submit your St. Louis ancestor’s biography, go to St. Louis City/County Biographies on the St. Louis Genealogical Society website.