This week is St. Louis’ annual Mardi Gras celebration in Historic Soulard. Although highs will only be in the 30s, it won’t keep brave souls in search of beads from attending the festivities, including Saturday’s highly anticipated Grand Parade, one of the largest in the Midwest and the most attended event in the City of St. Louis.
Kids of all ages will line the streets to watch the array of floats and catch beads and treats tossed by float riders. This year’s theme is “Famous Couples.” The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Busch Stadium and snakes its way south to Anheuser Busch. Parking can be tight, so consider taking Metrolink or other public transportation and shuttle options.
If you miss out on Saturday’s fun, check out the Lumiere Place Light Up the Night Fat Tuesday Parade, a colorful, fun-filled nighttime parade winding its way through downtown St. Louis starting at 7 p.m.
For full information on both parades and other Mardi Gras festivities, visit www.mardigrasinc.com.
Amy Burger is a mom, freelance writer and communications professional with nearly 20 years experience working in St. Louis. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and media outlets including STL Parent, Missouri Life magazine, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Town & Style and kdhx.org, among others. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two beautiful girls at home in Kirkwood.
It's the food truck event that started them all! Local food trucks gather for an evening of friends, fun, live music and plenty of great food at Sauce Food Truck Fridays. St. Louis' favorite mobile restaurants will be dishing out fresh fare and local brews in Tower Grove Park.
Kids can work on existing gym skills, learn new skills or just play around during Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym. Reservations are not necessary.
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.
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Energy Stage to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.
Join in on First Art, a free art program for toddlers where the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!