Courtesy Open Highway Music Festival
The Open Highway Music Festival is coming to Chesterfield Amphitheater this weekend.
It’s a big weekend here in St. Louis. We have dinosaurs, the World Naked Bike Ride, a music festival and a hot air balloon glow. What more can you ask for? Shake off the heat and flood in with some fun activities, St. Louis. Don’t forget your weekday plans too:
Friday 29/07
Hold on to your asses
Fortunately, we’ll never walk alongside dinosaurs (have you seen Jurassic Park?), but visiting Jurassic Quest offers a chance to satiate the curiosity of exactly what it would be like. During the three days, adults and children will be able to walk among animatronic dinosaurs. Jurassic Quest also gives kids the chance to ride some of the dinosaurs, explore bounce houses and a craft table, become archaeologists and dig up some fossils or even meet some dinosaurs.
Jurassic Quest comes to St. Charles Family Arena (2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles; 636-896-4200, jurassicquest.com) on Friday 29 July and will remain until Sunday 31 July. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets start at $22.
Life is a road
A music festival of its own returns this weekend as live music is still reeling from post-COVID-19 shutdowns. The three-day Open Highway Music Festival features music from the Funky Butt Brass Band, Margo Price, Drive-By Truckers and more. Local vendors including Sugarfire, Narwhal’s Crafted and more will be on site with food. Parking is free and guests are welcome to bring blankets and small chairs.
The Open Highway Music Festival is scheduled to arrive at the Chesterfield Amphitheater (631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield; openhighwaymusic.com) on Friday 29 July. Additional dates include Thursday, July 28 and Saturday, July 30. Tickets for Friday’s show are $45, and weekend and three-day passes are also available. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to St. Patrick Center.
Saturday 30/07
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The World Naked Bike Ride celebrates body positivity and protests oil dependency.
Bare It All
If a naked cyclist passes you later this month, don’t worry. The World Naked Bike Ride returns to St. Louis with the same rules: go as naked as you dare in the name of body positivity and cyclists’ rights.
At 4:30 p.m., the event will include a costume contest with categories like coolest moves, cutest crew, furriest human and more. The tour starts at 6 p.m. sharp, and the festival activities will follow at 8 p.m. The night closes around 11 p.m., but attendees can head to the Grove’s bars if they want to keep the party going.
Some tips: bring plenty of water, a bag to put your clothes in (you get undressed when you get to the trip) and your own paint. Pace yourself during the 10-mile course; it’s not a race, although if absolutely necessary you can leave early, but you’ll be back alone.
Organizers ask that riders be vaccinated and wear a mask while in close contact with others. No photos can be taken without consent, as well as no touching of others (don’t be creepy, in other words).
The naked bike ride will take place on Saturday, July 30, starting at 4:00 p.m. at the Grove (Manchester Avenue between Sarah and Talmage Streets, wnbrstl.org). No registration required.
Cabaret Clique
Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Bombay Cabaret comes to St. Louis to get sexy again. The cabaret has burlesque roots from its founder, Bastet Dafoe, and centers around his appreciation for live music and burlesque. Bombay Cabaret, a traveling showcase, features musicians and “chubby girls”. Organizers say you’ll want to bring some singlets and maybe a change of shirt for all your inevitable drooling.
The show will be hosted by Miki Gaynor and performers include Dafoe, Jolie Noir and Sunnie Dazed.
Catch Bombay cabaret at Crack Fox (1114 Olive Street, bombaycabaret.com) on Saturday, July 30, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets start at $15 on Eventbrite and admission is open to those 21 and older.
Going up
This weekend marks the annual Balloon Glow at Brookdale Farms (8004 Twin Rivers, Eureka; 636-938-1005, brookdalefarmsinc.com). More than a dozen glowing balloons will light up the night, although doors open at 4pm for other events, including inflatables for children, pony rides for an additional cost, a petting zoo and an outdoor concert by Shotgun Creek Band. Bring chairs, blankets and cameras and watch the balloons create a magical glow in the sky, followed by a beautiful fireworks display.
Catch the Balloon Glow on Saturday 30 July. Admission is $25 per vehicle, so grab your van and pack as many friends and family as you can. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, although it is cheaper to buy them online in advance. —Julian McCall
Margaritaville
Get wild downtown this weekend as Ballpark Village hosts its inaugural Margarita Fest. Margaritas will be flowing everywhere, drink specials will be on offer, live music will fill the stages – it’s going to be a full party. There will even be a taco alley with local vendors offering some food and taco eating contests.
The festival comes to Ballpark Village (601 Clark Avenue, stlballparkvillage.com/events/2022-07-30-margarita-fest) on Saturday 30 July, from 11 am. Tickets start at $14.99, and the event is for ages 21 and up. VIP upgrades are also available.
Sunday 31/07
Rods at the Ready
July closes with a celebration fit for a wizard, a wizard in particular, indeed. Harry Potter fans can test their knowledge at Global Brew Tap House’s Wizarding Weekend. Choose a house and join your fellow Slytherins, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws to fight over who knows the Harry Potter movies and the Fantastic Beasts series best.
Not only will the weekend have a trivia game to remember, but there will also be Quidditch Pong and the chance to decorate your own pint glass – registration is required for crafts. Specialty cocktails will grace the bar menu to celebrate the event. The frog choir won’t be there, but there will be live music.
Visit the Global Brew Tap House (455 Regency Park Drive B, O’Fallon, Illinois; 618-632-1818, ofallon.globalbrew.com) to participate in Wizarding Weekend. Quidditch Pong takes place on Saturday 30 July, while the trivia event takes place on Sunday 31 July. The celebration starts at 11 am on both days.
Broadway and Brunch
This weekend, music lovers can enjoy a brunch and a show, which tells the story of Henry VIII’s wives in the form of a pop concert. Six: A Drag Broadway Review features drag artists singing the popular songs. A buffet breakfast is served during the performance and bottomless mimosas are available for purchase.
Experience musical brunch at Little Bevo (4751 Morgan Ford Road, 314-833-8889, eventbrite.com/e/six-a-broadway-musical-review-drag-brunch-tickets-375007125407). Doors open at 11am, show time is noon. Tickets range from $15 to $30.
Birthday party
Come celebrate the birthday of the late Jerry Garcia, songwriter and lead guitarist of the rock band The Grateful Dead. Local musicians from St. Louis Neil Salsich, Brad Sarno, Dave Grelle, John Hussung and Cannon DeWeese will perform at Jerry Garcia’s birthday bash. This event is organized by Jamo Presents, an independent concert promoter based in St. Louis.
The party takes place on Sunday, July 31st at the Lot at the Big Top (3401 Washington Avenue, jamopresents.com/thelot) from 14.00 to 17.00 h. Tickets are available online for $15 in advance, $20 the day of the event. – Julian McCall
