What’s your favorite landmark in St. Louis? Are you thinking of one? When you are, follow these instructions:
1. Drive/bike/walk there.
2. Have someone take your photo while you hug (yes, hug) this landmark.
3. Email the photo to grouphugstl@gmail.com
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with your favorite person, building, school, park, etc.
Why would you do this? City Affair, a group of St. Louis-based urban enthusiasts, is hosting its second annual GROUPHUG St. Louis. The idea is that city-lovers all over St. Louis will take a photo hugging their favorite things, and then City Affair will compile these photos in to a fun slideshow to be shown at the GROUPHUG viewing party May 23 in Old North St. Louis.
Randy Vines, a member of City Affair, and one half of the clever St. Louis themed T-shirt business STL-Style (the other is his brother Jeff) hopes the event will remind residents of the little things that make St. Louis a great place to live.
“We just hope [St. Louisans] reacquaint themselves with the small features of the city that are often overlooked,” says Vines.
Last year’s event brought out over 300 people, along with 244 submissions of open arms across the city. In addition to the block party in St. Louis, simultaneous GROUPHUG parties are taking place this year in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Detroit. The “Rust Belt Group Hugs,” are the work of Cleveland-based Saving Cities, a group that visited last year’s event while working with the Vines brothers on a documentary.
In addition to displaying submitted photos, the block party will be include entertainment by a group of performance artists from the St. Lou Fringe Festival, as well as food provided by Lulu’s Local Eatery Food Truck. City Affair is also offering a $100 cash prize to the best embrace voted upon at the event.
If this sounds like fun and you’d like to show off your love for St. Louis, submit your photos now. GROUPHUG is accepting them until Wed May 23rd at 5 p.m. Email as many photos as you’d like, or post them to the GROUPHUG Facebook wall at facebook.com/GrouphugSTL.
The outdoor block party will take place from 7–10 p.m. on the 2700 block of North 14th Street just south of Crown Candy. For more information, visit grouphugstl.tumblr.com.
