Places to Go, Things to Do

Heritage Days, Storytelling, Fishing and more

May is the month where good Places to Go; Things to Do burst out all over the St. Louis metro area. There are things to attend every weekend and even during the week.

The Lewis and Clark Heritage Days in St. Charles on Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, commemorate the return of the famous Corps of Discovery. Those explorers made a two-year trek in 1804-06 through the Northwest Territories to the Pacific Ocean.

The 29th annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival from April 30 through May 3 brings dozens of storytellers at venues throughout the St. Louis area. There's a special venue just for kid storytellers.

The Kids' Fishing Fair at the Busch Memorial Conservation Area is an event just for kids and their families.

(Young Saint Louis.com searches for activities and events that kids and their families might like to do during the month. As always, YSL.com is on the lookout for things where admission is free or inexpensive.)

Lewis and Clark Heritage Days

The Lewis and Clark Heritage Days in St. Charles bring together a wide variety of re-enacters who portray life as it was in the early 1800s. There will be people posing as frontiersmen, Indians, boatmen and others.

Of special interest for Young Saint Louis.com readers will be the appearance of Josh Loftis of Belleville. YSL.com interviewed him several years ago when he was a member of the Corps of Discovery re-enactment.

At that time, he was playing the part of a Lewis&Clark crew member. He is a direct descendant of one of the original crew. But, at this year's St. Charles Heritage Days, he'll be in the dress of an Indian.

(For a story about his transition since he returned, click here.)

For more information about Heritage Days, call (636) 946-7776 or (800) 366-2427. Or you can visit www.lewisandclarkcenter.org. In addition to the activities, you can tour the Lewis&Clark Center for more historic information.

St. Louis Storytelling Festival

The 29th annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival brings together nationally-known storytellers as well as over 50 regional storytellers for four days of presentations. The festival started on Wednesday, April 30, and continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 1-3.

The storytellers appear at dozens of different venues throughout the metro area.

In addition, the festival features three storytelling concerts by young kids who have been training for their performances for months. These kids concerts are to be held at the University City Public Library on Saturday, May 3.

All events are free and open to the public.

To learn more about the different storytellers and where they'll appear, visit www.umsl.edu/storytelling. Or you can call (314) 516-5961.

Kids Fishing Day

The Kids' Fishing Fair is an annual event at the Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County. This year's event is on Saturday, May 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It's open for kids 15 and under and a parent or guardian.

This is a good place to get fishing help from outdoor specialists with the Missouri Department of Conservation. You can visit display booths and then get in some real fishing experience at ponds at the Busch area.

Kids are urged to bring their own fishing equipment. However, there are a limited number of rods and reels available that can be borrowed for the day.

For information, call (636) 441-4554. Or you can get complete information by visiting www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/stlouis/.

Birding at Rockwoods

The MDC's Rockwoods Reservation is holding its 70th anniversary celebration this year. One of the neat events for May will be Birding at Rockwoods on Saturday, May 17.

The Rockwoods Reservation has been designated by the National Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area.

The birding event will include a 3.2-mile hike along the Lime Kiln Loop Trail. This goes through a mixed-hardwood forest which has samples of both migrant and resident birds.

There are also trails that include prairies and shortleaf pine forests.

For information, call (636) 458-2236 or visit http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/
AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=5405. You can make reservations from May 7.

National Bike Month rides

Trailnet has a number of bicycle rides scheduled for May, which is National Bike Month. Included are:

For information on these and other rides, visit www.trailnet.org.

Niki Nights at Botanical Gardens

The Missouri Botanical Garden will have Niki Nights on Thursdays, 5 to 9 p.m. The Nights are in honor of the latest pop sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, that are spread around the Gardens.

Also, during the evening events, the Schnuck Children's Garden will be open until 7 p.m.

Another Garden event is Chinese Culture Days, May 17-18. You can sample Chinese cuisine, music and culture.

There are admission charges. For information, call (314) 577-5700 or you can visit www.mobot.org.

Family Fine Arts/Crafts Festival at Faust

The St. Louis Parks Department is sponsoring the Faust Fine Arts and Crafts Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $1 per person.

This festival combines two arts-and-crafts festivals, the Tilles Arts and Crafts Fair and the Faust Folk Festival. This year, fine artists and crafters will display their works jointly.

Music, refreshments and food are available.

For information, call (636) 391-0922, Ext. 12 or visit www.stlouisco.com.

Central Library Goes International

The St. Louis Public Library and the International Institute will combine to present Central Goes International on Saturday, May 3. The event runs from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The event will be at the Central Branch library in downtown St. Louis.

Live music, dance and crafts will be presented. The Youth Services department has special child crafts and storytellers.

For information, call (314) 241-2288 or visit www.slpl.org.

History Museum's Tuesday Night concerts

The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park has a series of Tuesday Night concerts scheduled in May. Admission is free and the concerts are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

On May 6, the Groovethang band will present a Tribute to Steely Dan. On May 13, Billy Peak will play. On May 20, it will be Dr. Zhivegas and on May 27, the Fabulous Melvin Revue.

For information, call (314) 746-4594 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Kemp Auto Museum

The Kemp Auto Museum in the Chesterfield Valley has an unusual exhibit on display. It's billed as a trip down memory lane when American families piled into their car for a long cross-country trip.

With gasoline headed for $4 per gallon, this might be a low-cost alternative to an actual road trip.

The exhibit was put together by local artist Stuart Morse and is based on the historic route of Lewis and Clark. The exhibit will be shown from May 27 through Aug. 31.

The Kemp Museum also has plenty of vintage cars from the past on display. For information, call (636) 537-1718. Or visit www.kempautomuseum.org.