Photo by PhotoProSTL
Let Them Eat Art 2016.
SLM's A-List Party | July 13
St. Louis Magazine's annual A-List Awards recognize excellence across a range of categories: food, amusements, shopping, style, media, culture, sports, and more. Then, to celebrate the winners, SLM hosts a party in the Central West End's Maryland Plaza, offering drinks food samples, and live music. Broseph E. Lee and Whiskey Morning perform on the main stage. See a list of participating restaurants here. $45–$75. 7–10:30 p.m. Maryland Plaza, stlmag.com.
Let Them Eat Art | July 14
Twelve years ago, when the first Let Them Eat Art happened in downtown Maplewood, the Bastille Day vibe was super-apparent, with Day-Glo Marie Antoinette wigs everywhere. More than a decade later, the event's taken on its own life. As the city points out, it's not an art fair, but "a celebration of making art and enjoying art in the shops and on the streets of historic downtown Maplewood." Last year, the festival paid tribute to the century-old Saratoga Lanes, with artists customizing giant bowling pins; this year, the city is hanging 30 artist-designed umbrellas throughout downtown. The night begins with a parade along Sutton, followed by live music and art-making, kid-friendly activities, open houses, and food and drink specials from Maplewood eateries. Free. 6–11 p.m. Maplewood, cityofmaplewood.com.
World Naked Bike Ride | July 15
After a decade, this cycling event—which aims to raise awareness of road safety for cyclists, promote body positivity, and protest oil consumption—is going strong. The slogan is "bare as you dare," which for most people doesn't mean totally in the buff, but rather swimsuits, strategically placed stickers and glitter, body paint, and/or plain old skivvies.The night starts at dusk with live music, body painting, and a bike expo. Trailnet is partnering with the ride to support bicycle advocacy; a $20 donation scores a limited-edition water bottle. Free. Meetup at 5 p.m., ride at 7 p.m. Kentucky and Manchester in The Grove, wnbrstl.org.
St. Louis Filmmakers' Showcase | July 16–20
We're super lucky to have a high-quality yet totally accessible international film festival. We're also super lucky to have a diverse, vital local filmmaking community, with directors and documentarians whose work often ends up on the St. Louis International Film Festival's schedule. The Filmmakers' Showcase is where a lot of that work makes its debut, but it's also a great way to take in films by local filmmakers telling local stories. Some films to circle on your program this year: the HBO documentary Atomic Homefront (which examines St. Louis' nuclear history, including Coldwater Creek and the Bridgeton landfill); Dev Diary, about a video game developer diagnosed with lymphoma; Gabe, which follows a young man erroneously diagnosed with a terminal illness; and multiple shorts, including "I Am The Dance of Life," about the "Dance of Life Dancer" Susan Stone. $13, $10 members and students. Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar, cinemastlouis.org.
LaBute New Theater Festival | through July 30
It's LaBute and not in name only—every year, acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute contributes a new one-act play to this festival, which also features the work of established and emerging playwrights from around the country. This year, the festival opened with the premiere of Labute's Hate Crime (which will see another performance on July 21). Other new works include Waiting for The Erie Lackawanna by Ron Radice, Sacred Space by Barbara Blumenthal-Ekrlich, Percentage America by Carter Lewis, How’s Bruno by Cary Pepper, and Sin Titulo by Tearrance Chrisholm. Though there are two St. Louis playwrights in the mix (Lewis and Chisholm), the majority of the writers hail from the coasts; the group receives upwards of 400 submissions per year. For theater fans, it's an opportunity to see new work staged in an intimate venue. $35, $30 seniors and students. 8 p.m. Thu–Sat, 3 p.m. Sun. The Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle, gaslighttheater.net.
Check out SLM's top five family-friendly events for this weekend, as well as coverage of other major happenings, including All Shook Up at The Muny, an outdoor screening of Titanic on Art Hill, Matthew Sweet at the Duck Room, Flo Rida at Family Arena, and Cardinals games. For even more options, visit SLM's calendar.
