In the heart of St. Louis is the center of innovation. The Cortex district, the Midwest’s premier hub for bioscience and technology research, is where ideas are generated, businesses are born, and the future of our city – and the world as a whole – is evolving in exciting new ways.
Each day, engineers and entrepreneurs, artists and architects are inspiring area youth to stray from the status quo and use their imaginations to dream bigger. And from September 23-25, the talents of these individuals and the future leaders of our region will be celebrated with the inaugural St. Louis Murmuration Festival.
This three-day event spotlights the phenomenal work going on in the Cortex, and with its Future Innovators Zone, gives kids and their families access to interactive, hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) programming and activities.
Said Julie Noonan of The Fox Theatre and lead on the Future Innovators Zone, “A murmuration is a flock of starlings that produces intricate patterns during flight. With the festival, we’re exploring the patterns that are created when art, science, technology, and music all converge. We want to draw people in and show them new ways of thinking and collaborating.”
Opening kids’ eyes to the future of innovation
The Murmuration Festival is the brainchild of Brian Cohen, founder of LouFest, who alongside Dennis Lower, cofounder and CEO of Cortex Innovation Community, wanted to highlight the amazing developments happening in St. Louis. The event combines cutting-edge musical acts, thought sessions from groundbreaking STEAM leaders, and a variety of free zones that spotlight everything from the city’s artists to its world-renowned local restaurants.
The most kid-friendly zone at Murmuration is Future Innovators, which brings together a variety of organizations dedicated to helping kids achieve the incredible.
“We believe children are the future of St. Louis, and by nature, they’re just instinctively innovative,” remarked Noonan. “They have no fear – just give them a box of Legos, and in minutes, they’ll create something amazing! Our whole goal with the Zone is to spark young minds and bring out the innovator within – and just as important – be collaborative when doing so.”
According to Noonan, just some of the activities at Future Innovators include:
The Future Innovators Zone, along with the Maker Expo, STL Innovation Showcase, Art @ Murmuration, and Eats @ Murmuration are all free for families to attend. In addition, you can get a taste of everything the event – and Cortex – has to offer at Friday @ Murmuration, a no-cost kick-off to the weekend.
Musical performances and thought sessions on Saturday and Sunday are ticketed events, but any kid age 10 and younger can get into them for free with a ticketed adult.
For more information on the Murmuration Festival, visit www.murmurationfest.com.
Metro East mom Nicole Plegge has written for STL Parent for more than 12 years. Besides working as a freelance writer & public relations specialist, and raising two daughters and a husband, Nicole's greatest achievements are finding her misplaced car keys each day and managing to leave the house in a stain-free shirt. Her biggest regret is never being accepted to the Eastland School for Girls. Follow Nicole on Twitter @STLWriterinIL
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