Photography by Kent Burgess, courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden's Japanese Festival
If you didn’t get enough world-spanning food and fun at Festival of Nations last week, you’re in luck. You can once again travel the planet without leaving St. Louis this weekend. Three festivals, in particular, are worth a look: Taste of Africa in O’Fallon Park, the Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden, and the St. Louis Greek Festival in the Central West End.
On Saturday and Sunday from noon–7 p.m., Taste of Africa STL returns for its second year. Presented by 21st Ward Alderman John C. Muhammad, the free festival offers food, music, art, culture, and more. Enjoy African dance, live Afrobeat music, and DJ sets including reggae and neo-soul. Pick up African-inspired clothes, jewelry, and natural goods from a variety of vendors, and enjoy kid-friendly activities and games. With African, Caribbean and soul food available, there will be something for everyone.
The Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden is a can’t-miss for plenty of St. Louisans. Ancient art forms and traditions will be on display, including sumo wrestling and taiko (musical and communicative drumming on giant instruments), as well as bonsai (tiny trees) and ikebana (exquisitely arranged flowers) in the Orthwein Floral Display Hall. The festival is also your chance to tour Teahouse Island, which is normally off-limits. Learn cooking and meditation, hear stories, and watch anime. Taking place across three days—Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.–8 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.—the festival offers a packed schedule, so consider downloading the festival app before you go. General admission is $16 for adults and $5 for kids.
This year marks the 102nd Annual St. Louis Greek Festival—so it’s pretty safe to call it an institution at this point. Attendees can tour St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, shop for souvenirs from Greece at the gift shop, and enjoy folk music and dancing. Of course, you can also tuck into classic dishes, including spanakopita and gyros—and be sure you leave room for baklava. The free festival runs 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday at the corner of Forest Park and Kingshighway, with a kickoff event Friday night starting at 3 p.m.
