Compiled by Staff
Scroll down for lots of suggestions of things to do this fall in St. Louis. This list is things sent to us and also from Explore St. Louis, compiled for your convenience but there are a lot more things goin on in St. Louis than this list. If you have something for us to add, please let us know. For more of what to do in the St. Louis Area check out the Explore St. Louis website.
Zootoberfest September 28 to 29 and October 5 to 6
On crisp fall days, head to the Saint Louis Zoo for a family friendly Oktoberfest. Enjoy the animals, exhibits and attractions alongside German-inflected foods and drinks at the local landmark. There will also be special activities for kids such as arts and crafts. CLICK HERE.
During the month of October, you’ll see some new faces around Eureka. As part of the Scarecrow Festival, artfully designed scarecrows will strike regal poses in front of local businesses, schools, churches and homes. While you’re in town, embark on The Great Scarecrow Hunt for a chance to win cash prizes.
For info: CLICK HERE.
Best of Missouri Market. October 4 to 6
This fall, the Best of Missouri Market returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden with more than 120 vendors, offering unique handicrafts, locally produced foodstuffs, bespoke jewelry, native plants and more. Kids will also have a blast with fall-inspired activities such as sustainable pumpkin decorating.
Grovefest October 5
Dance, eat and party in the streets of The Grove during this annual festival praised for its diversity. Live music, interactive art, street performers, drag shows and a bubble bus set the tone, so you know that you’ll have a good time. Want to immerse yourself in the fun? Enter the pizza eating contest, best mustache and beard contest or Fear Factor competition.
Special Collaboration with André’s Confiserie Suisse
Halloween flavors have creeped into Clementine’s Ice SCREAM parlors. Starting today, the new flavors will be available in pints and scoops at all eight locations.
Midnight Cherry Bite is a light vanilla ice cream speckled with house-made brownie bites and a swirl of tart cherry compote.
Hot Honey Cinnamon is a caramelized hot honey ice cream with warm cinnamon, a hint of cayenne, and smooth vanilla for a fiery-sweet fusion.
Vegan Franken Crunch is a creamy matcha vanilla ice cream with crunchy cornflake clusters and sweet strawberry slices for an electrifying treat.
Pumpkin Orange Cardamom features a pumpkin ice cream spiced with aromatic cardamom and brightened with a citrusy orange, which offers a spine-tingling balance of warmth and zest.
For chocolate lovers, Clementine’s has something sweet in store on Saturday, October 5 at their Town & Country ice cream parlor. Kansas City-based André’s Confiserie Suisse is hosting a Pop-Up Shop from Noon-10 p.m. at 13426 Clayton Road in Town & Country. During the event, guests can sample and purchase the world-class chocolates, including their famous chocolate almonds and bourbon balls. Clementine’s has teamed up with André’s on a new “Hidden Dessert” flavor for adults 21 and over. The new boozy flavor, André’s Chocolate Bourbon Road, features pecan and almond candies immersed in whiskey and coated in Swiss chocolate to create a bourbon bar surrounded by a decadent creamy milk chocolate ice cream.
Guests are invited to visit any of the eight ice cream parlors located at 1637 S. 18th Street in historic Lafayette Square, 730 DeMun in Clayton, 4715 Macklind in the South Hampton neighborhood, 140 W. Argonne Drive in Kirkwood, 13426 Clayton Road in Town & Country, 308 N. Euclid in the Central West End, The Meadows Shopping Center in Lake St. Louis and 6185 Bennett Drive in Edwardsville, IL.
As Missouri’s only micro-creamery, all of the dairy used in Clementine’s creations is from local, grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone and RBST-free cows. Clementine’s combines their all-natural proprietary dairy base with the finest hand picked ingredients to churn up a decadent 16-18% butterfat ice cream. Visit www.clementinescreamery.com for more information or to order pints online. Follow Clementine’s Ice Cream on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on flavors and events.
Apple Butter Festival Kimmswick is always the last full weekend of October. This year, it is the weekend of October 26-27, 2024 from 10am – 5pm both days!
The Apple Butter Festival Kimmswick is the largest celebration Kimmswick has annually drawing over 100,000 visitors. Come enjoy the small town ambiance, stroll through our streets lined with 500 – 600 food, drink and craft vendors. Also enjoy lots of live entertainment throughout the town including bluegrass, country rock, and dulcimer music.
The Kimmswick Historical society will gather on Friday to peel and prepare the apples. Early, before dawn, on each day of the festival, the wood burning fire is lighted, the kettle is filled with apples and cooking and stirring continues for seven to eight hours until the fragrant spread is thick enough to be sealed in jars.
The Apple Butter Festival Kimmswick starts at 10am each day and wraps up around 5pm. The town streets will be closed to vehicle traffic during these hours. Visitors may park at the Windsor School and catch a bus into town. The buses will run throughout the day shuttling visitors to-and-from the parking area at Windsor School. There will also be limited parking available off of Highway K and is just a short walking distance into town.
For the children, there is a miniature train, petting zoo and pony rides that will delight kids at any age. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to come visit, help stir and enjoy the ambiance at the pavilion. Apple butter is for sale each day or until the last jar is sold.
For booth rental please contact any of the following for availability at their location:
- @ City Hall at 636.464.7407 or visit them at www.CityofKimmswick.org
Ahoy Mateys! The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is being invaded by Pirates and a spooky patch of magnificently carved pumpkins this fall.
“Pirates & Pumpkins,” a family adventure, is open now through October 31, 2024 with special trick-or-treat activities on Fridays and Saturdays in October.
The Aquarium is decorated with pirate-themed scenes, including a ghost ship with smoking, booming cannons. On the exciting treasure hunt inside the Aquarium, guests can take a self-guided tour through a highly themed wonderland of treasure caves and grottos.
Social media fans will love the Instagram-worthy photo opportunities throughout the transformed Aquarium during their fall journey.
Patches of realistically carved and lighted pumpkins representing the Aquarium’s sea life will greet visitors as they explore the attraction. One of the highlights is a pumpkin shark scene complete with a boat for family pictures and scary selfies.
Guests make their way through the marine habitats and hands-on, hands-wet animal adventures at the Aquarium, learning amazing animal facts and enjoying pun-filled pirate jokes. Along the way little buccaneers can learn to talk like a pirate and can create their own pirate names.
Treasure seekers will explore elaborate pirate scenes and kids can fire the pirate ship’s fearsome cannons. At the end of the quest, only the bravest adventurers can sit at the Pirate King’s Throne for a triumphant picture.
Pirate-costumed scuba divers will carve pumpkins underwater inside the Aquarium’s Shark Canyon habitatat 1:15 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in October.
“Pirates & Pumpkins” is included with admission to the Aquarium. Tickets are available online at www.stlouisaquarium.com. Prices vary.
After the Aquarium closes, a special after-hours event with Pirates & Pumpkins will turn the venue into a trick or treat festival every Friday and Saturday in October from 5 to 8 p.m. (last admission at 7 pm.). Kids can gather candy treats from the pirates. Walk the plank-o, dig for buried treasure, make their own pirate hat and even more challenges await. Guests who complete them all become honorary pirates and leave with a share of the candy loot. Pirates & Pumpkins Trick or Treat Nights are bigger and better this year with more pirates, more fun and more candy. Admission to this special event is $30 for adults and $25 for kids 3-12 years of age. Children 2 and under are free. Annual Pass Holder admission is $15 for adults and $10 for kids 3-12 years of age.
ABOUT ST. LOUIS UNION STATION
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is open daily at 9 a.m. Advance tickets are available at www.stlouisaquarium.com. Follow the Aquarium on social media @aquariumstl. The Aquarium is located at 201 S. 18th St., St. Louis, MO 63103. www.stlouisaquarium.com.
For those who revel in the extraordinary, Fright at the Museum promises a month of entertainment that will send shivers down your spine. The one-of-a-kind Halloween festival at City Museum features heart-pounding performances that push the boundaries of possibility, alongside carefully curated exhibits with artifacts that defy explanation and specimens that challenge imagination. When you need a break, step into the shadows of the Vampire Bar, where darkness and decadence intertwine. Here, you can sip crimson elixirs that transport imbibers to another realm of intoxicating ambiance and tantalizing flavors. Coven & Cauldron, a dimly lit pub, boasts a different world of magic, mystery and macabre, enticing curious mortals and practicing witches with enchanting brews. Fright at the Museum takes place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 27
Balloon Glow, Ditmer, Mo- Oct. 19
Join us at the MKU Farm for our 3rd annual balloon glow. Carpool if possible because parking is limited. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and snacks for a relaxing evening at the MKU Farm. Gates open 30m prior to event. RSVP at http://missourikidsunplugged.org/events/
For information CLICK HERE
