August means back-to-school for many area students, so the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday is important for St. Louis families to note. In the state of Missouri, the three-day holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2 and runs through Sunday, August 4.
During this time period, back-to-school purchases (including clothing, school supplies and personal computers) are exempt from sales tax, so if you have a lot of shopping to do or large purchases to make, this is a great way to save. Expect large crowds in local stores that weekend – and keep in mind that items purchased online qualify for the exemption too.
Some cities and counties in the state opt out of the tax holiday, including St. Charles County, and the cities of Kirkwood, Manchester, Brentwood, Des Peres, Ferguson, Maplewood, Crestwood, Richmond Heights, Overland, Clayton, Town and Country, St. Peters, University City, Rock Hill, Webster Groves and more. For a full list of cites opting out, go here. For more specifics, go to dor.mo.gov
Celebrating the history, culture, and people of Japan, the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest festivals of its kind in the United States. Your family can enjoy guided walking tours, bonsai, cooking, martial arts and origami demonstrations, sumo wrestling, and special activities for kids.
Wagon rides, live entertainment, great festival foods, a petting zoo and much more make this an apple pickin' good time for the whole family. There will be pony rides, a children's carnival, opportunities to feed goats and other farm animals, caramel apples, funnel cakes and more.
Families are invited to the Saint Louis Art Museum on Sunday afternoon to participate in free hands-on art activities with fun themes and to explore the galleries. Each Family Sunday focuses on a different family-friendly theme.
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.
Sensory Friendly Science Time features reduced noise, modified lighting and sensory-friendly demonstrations at the Saint Louis Science Center.