Summer Festivals, Events Rapidly Coming to an End

Labor Day marks the official end of summer. Kids are back in school, and fall is not far away.

There’s a whole host of things to do with the family throughout the Labor Day weekend.

Bike Races in South St. Louis

One of the foremost to-dos is the four days of bike racing in South St. Louis. Bikes are flying around city streets at breathtaking speeds.

The Labor Day Gateway Cup, sponsored by THF Realty, features a major race each of the four days.

Friday, Sept. 2 features the Criterium Tour de Lafayette, presented by Studio 2108. Races in Lafayette Square run from 3:30 until 9:15 p.m.

On Saturday, the Tour des Hills presented by Big Shark Bicycle Company will be held on a 1.3 mile-rectangle in the Nottingham, Eichelberger, Tamm and Donovan avenue area. It runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Sunday is the Giro Della Montagna on The Hill. The start and finish of all races is in front of St. Ambrose Church. Races start at 12:15 p.m. and finish up about 6 p.m.

The Benton PRK Classic, presented by Greenstreet Properties will be run on a 1.7-mile course on Labor Day that winds around Benton Park and Anheuser-Busch. Races are 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.

Overall, riders will be racing for thousands of dollars in prize money. For information, call 314-862-1188. All events are free and open to the public.

Japanese Festival

Each Labor Day weekend, the Missouri Botanical Garden hosts one of the largest and oldest Japanese Festivals in North America. The event features traditional music, dancing and storytelling in the garden’s authentic Japanese strolling gardens. The event runs Sept. 3-5.

Downtown Labor Day Parade

It just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t end the summer season with a downtown parade. Thousands of local union members will march through downtown St. Louis for the annual Labor Day Parade. The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. at 13th and Olive streets and goes down Tucker Boulevard, past St. Louis City Hall and west on Market Street to 15th Street. This is free and open to the public.

Big Muddy Blues Festival

Music and food is the main attraction on Laclede’s Landing over Labor Day weekend. The Big Muddy Blues Festival is an outdoor musical festival featuring local and nationally known artists. This year, new is an admission charge of $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the event for the main stage shows only. The event runs Sept. 3-4.

St. Nicolas Greek Festival

For those who love shish kebab, moussaka, spanakopita and baklava, come to the annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival Sept. 3-5 at Kinghighway and Forest Park Parkway. The Greek festival is noted for its music and dancing as well as world-class food.

Cardinals in Town

The Cardinals have games against the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers over Labor Day weekend. The Birds play the Reds on Saturday and Sunday and have a 3:15 p.m. Labor Day game against the Brewers. Good tickets are still available.

Belleville Labor Day Parade

Many Metro East union members and their families celebrate Labor Day with the annual parade on Sept. 5. The parade starts at 10 a.m. along First Street in downtown Belleville and makes its way to Hough Park in Belleville.

Area Swimming Pools

Most of the area swimming pools, along with Raging Rivers Park in Grafton and Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags will shut down as the summer ends. This will be the last chance to get in a family swim before fall.