Community Corner

Only in St. Louis: What's Your Favorite Local Tradition?

What are some of your favorite "only in St. Louis" traditions, phenomena, practices or cultural landmarks?

National Public Radio recently posted a feature about trivia nights, one of the traditions that makes us unique. What are some of your favorite "only in St. Louis" traditions, phenomena, practices or cultural landmarks?

A few months ago, my wife and a few of our friends huddled around a table in a Chesterfield location and tried to remember details about long-since canceled television shows, defunct sports teams and dusty records we hadn't heard in years.

It was trivia night. For the price of a dinner out, we raised money for a good cause, had a good time, and, yeah, we got our butts kicked. My table has only won trivia night once in my 11 years in St. Louis.

A few months ago, Washington-based National Public Radio shined a light on the tradition with an article posted to its website.

...the idea of spending an evening with friends playing trivia at a fundraising event may have become a constant in St. Louis, but it's a "foreign concept" everywhere else.
"My friends who have moved — to Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City — have tried to get it started at churches or other organizations," says Kevin Carbery, the trivia host and columnist. "But people where they're trying to do it think it sounds boring, and it doesn't go any further."
In a way, it's surprising that the idea hasn't spread. It's an easy, turnkey fundraiser with little overhead. Some groups have to rent a space, but for most it's a matter of soliciting donated auction items, setting up a sound system and hiring a host.
It got me thinking about other "unique" St. Louis traditions, phenomena and cultural touchstones—like the ever-popular "where did you go to high school?" question. Although this forum discusses the topic and decides it's not uniquely St. Louis, I've never heard anyone ask it as much as when I moved here.

(Side note: This 2012 article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch look at a researcher's attempt to determine whether that question is actually damaging to our reputation.)

Anyway, as I said, all this got me thinking. What are some of your favorite "only in St. Louis" traditions, phenomena, practices or cultural landmarks?


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