A decade ago, Grove Fest was a groovy little party meant to gain some name recognition for the neighborhood along Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer. These days, it’s a blowout attracting national bands and local gems, food, fashion, crafty goodness, and all sorts of unorthodox talent.
“It being the tenth year, I’d say we did a good job of concentrating our resources into things we think people will love,” says Matthew Green, event planner with Park Central Development, which is a key player in putting together the festival.
On Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m., you’re sure to find something worth checking out at the festival, which kicks off with a parade. The music alone is worth a stop.
L.A.-based headliner Saint Motel is responsible for the catchy hit “Just My Type.” Rapper Chali 2na was a founding member of Jurassic 5. And Blank Generation, Black James, and Kim Massie are among the local acts.
Do you find yourself suffering from festival food FOMO (fear of missing out)? It’s a common enough condition, Green and Co. came up with a plan to prevent it. “We’ve got all our food and drink concentrated in one area, so people know they can go and not miss something good,” he says.
There’s also a craft village with jewelry, soap, candles, and “things you can’t even find in the deepest parts of the Internet.” If apparel is your thing, check out the fashion village, complete with 10 retailers and three fashion trucks. City Boutique is sponsoring a fashion show, and some of the local LGBT bars are sponsoring a drag competition.
The kids’ area has some of the usual suspects—pumpkin-painting, a bounce house, and puppet shows—as well as a bubble bus, kids-only karaoke, and a paint-by-numbers mural. And celeb guests, including members of the Saint Louis Football Club, will be on hand.
For adults, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company will again be a main sponsor, with two beer gardens, as well as a beer brewed just for the festival that's served in specialty glassware.
Throughout the festival footprint, you’ll cross paths with jugglers, escape artists, fortune tellers, hula hoopers, and fire breathers. Get your kicks playing human foosball, or watch dogs “running around getting goofy” at the Watering Bowl’s agility course.
The festival is free, though festivalgoers are being asked to give a donation. For $5, you get a limited-edition Grove neighborhood bumper sticker. “It costs more and more to produce,” Green says of the event. Donations go “directly back into the festival, into the neighborhood—what we’re doing is worthy.”
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