By Alex from Ithaca (Father and Son) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Dad’s day of celebration is nearly here, and St. Louis is gearing up for a fun weekend of man-friendly events to make Father’s Day enjoyable for foodies, scholars, beer-drinkers and every other type of dad. Whether it’s a bike ride on the Riverfront Trail or a beer and some barbecue, St. Louis has your weekend plans covered with an array of pa-appreciation events.
For the Dad who Loves to Eat and Drink
Bring your beer-loving dad to the annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival (Central Fields in Forest Park, stlbrewfest.com), where he can try 80 types of beer from more than 20 different breweries and fill up on food from local vendors. The festival will be in Forest Park Friday and Saturday and costs $40 at the door for unlimited beer samples. If it’s barbecue that paves the way to his heart, Patty Long’s River Bottom Saloon is hosting a Father’s Day Barbecue Lunch Bash (112 Sidney, 314-521-9598, pattylongcatering.com), where, for $28, he can feast on St. Louis-style ribs, fried chicken, shrimp and burgers. Another brunch option lies on the Gateway Arch Riverboat (50 S.Leonor K. Sullivan, 877-982-1410, gatewayarch.com), which will set sail on the Mississippi Sunday afternoon. This holiday cruise offers one-of-a-kind views of the Arch and St. Louis skyline, not to mention a tasty buffet and live Dixieland music. Finally, foodie fathers with bold palates can test their tolerance by sampling all sorts of spicy foods at Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Spicy Sunday,” (4344 Shaw, 314-577-5100, missouribotanicalgarden.org) part of the Savor Your Summer series.
For the Dad Who Likes to Keep in Shape
For those active and outdoorsy dads, St. Louis offers plenty of opportunities for physical activity this Father’s Day weekend. Friday night, the Flamingo Bowl invites you to grab a cocktail, strap on some bowling shoes and help fund the Lafayette Preparatory Academy’s school library at its first annual Start the Bowl Rolling (1117 Washington, 314-436-6666, flamingobowl.com) fundraiser. Saturday is packed with outdoor adventures, including the 17th Annual Fatherhood Walk/5K Run and Rally (4256 Magnolia, 314-333-4170, fatherssupportcenter.org) in Tower Grove Park and a ranger-led, six-mile bike tour of the Riverfront Trail (50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan, 877-982-1410, gatewayarch.com) starting at the Gateway Arch. On the tour, which is held every Saturday, a National Park Service Ranger will cover the history of the river dating back to the 19th century. Sunday, the annual GO! St. Louis All-American 5K & Fun Run (325 N. Taylor, 314-727-0893, gostlouis.org) will be held in Kirkwood.
For the Dad who Loves Live Music
Any man who’s a fan of the St. Louis blues scene would be thrilled to be at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups (700 S. Broadway, 314-436-5222, bbsjazzbluessoups.com) this weekend. Saturday, blues artists Tom Hall, Mark Hummel and Rich McDonough will take the stage before Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes play Sunday. The Ambassador is celebrating dads Sunday with a Father’s Day Blues Show (9800 Halls Ferry, 314-869-9090), while the Mount Pleasant Estates Summer Band Series will present the Ralph Butler Trio (I5634 High, 636-482-9463, mountpleasant.com), performing anything from the Rolling Stones to Louis Armstrong.
For the Dad who is Thirsty for Knowledge
See St. Louis’ historic downtown in a different light by exploring the evolution of architecture on a three-and-a-half-mile Downtown Architecture Walking Tour (1820 Market, 314-662-3187, mstl.org). Starting at St. Louis Union Station, the tour features 20 structures, including the Gothic-style Christ Church Cathedral on Locust St., the French Renaissance Revival building that now houses City Hall and the modernist Gateway Arch. Also on Saturday, the Saint Louis Science Center in Forest Park invites prehistory buffs to explore information about Paleontology and Paleotrek at the Festival of Fossils (5050 Oakland, 314-289-4400, slsc.org). Guests can even bring in their own fossil finds to be identified by experts. For the gearheads in your family, enjoy free admission at the Museum of Transportation and the 12th Annual Father’s Day Cars with Class Show (3015 Barrett Station, 314-615-8668, transportmuseumassociation.org) Sunday.
For the Dad who has Young Children
Looking for a fun event for the whole family? Check out Saturday’s Summer Family Concert (3750 Washington, 314-535-4660, camstl.org) at the Contemporary Art Museum, featuring the one-man musical comedian Babaloo and a rock ‘n’ roll kids show by The Boogers. On Sunday, dads and granddads who bring their children will receive free admission to the Kemp Auto Museum (16955 Chesterfield Airport, 636-537-1718, kempautomuseum.org) in Chesterfield, home to a collection of rare, vintage European automobiles and one of the largest private collections of Mercedes Benz in North America. While dads peruse centuries-old automobiles, crafts and refreshments will be available to entertain the kids.
