Florissant Old Town Fall Festival Events, Oct. 11 & 12

CHILI COOK-OFF, sponsored by Click Heating and Cooling, will be held at 124 rue St. Francois, starting at noon. But, don’t wait long…the chili goes quick.

SATURDAY – PARTY IN THE PARK

On Saturday, there will be a festival of sporting events, art, music, and fireworks at St. Ferdinand Park. The day will begin at 8 a.m. with a 5K run sponsored by the Florissant Jaycees.

A family fishing derby will be held from 9 a.m.-noon. Trailblazer Bike Shop will sponsor a family bicycle poker ride, from 11 a.m-1 p.m., from the Veach pavilion.

After the fishing derby, the lake area will feature Art in the Park where local artists will display their work.

Team sports will include men’s softball, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and high school boy’s lacrosse starting at 10 a.m.

The annual Pipe fitter vs. Pipe coverer soccer game will be at 4 p.m.
A concert by the lake will be held from 5-7 p.m., followed by a firework display at dusk.
Food and beverages will be located at the sand volleyball pavilion.

For more info contact Dan at dansullivan54@aol.com or call 314-831-7671.

The St. Louis Unions will play two traditional vintage baseball games at 1 p.m. on the field behind Old St. Ferdinand Shrine. The team will also play three games, beginning at noon, on Sunday. The games are played according to baseball rules, uniforms and equip;ment from 1862.

SUNDAY – FESTIVAL HOURS noon-5 p.m.

Activities can be found on rue St. Francois Street, from New Florissant Road, all the way down to St. Ferdinand Shrine. There will be eleven blocks of activities including food and beverage booths, old favorites like the Chili Cook-off, Fido Follies, a wine garden, pumpkin carving and decorating, jewelry making, and entertainment.

The craft fair continues to grow each year. Due to its popularity, the fair will be in two locations on rue St. Francois – near New Florissant Road and by the Old Town Partners office on rue St. Charles.

Fido Follies will be held at 3:30 p.m. on the Bank of America parking lot. Registration begins at 3 p.m. Dogs are judged by the crowd in categories such as Best Kisser, Largest, Smallest, Best Costume, and Best Trick. The event is sponsored by Baronwood Kennels.
All dogs must wear an appropriate collar and be on a six-foot or shorter leash. Participating dogs must have proof of DHPP vaccination within the past year and a city or county license showing up-to-date rabies vaccination worn on the collar.

The Click Heating & Cooling Chili Cook-Off will be held in front of Click, 124 rue St. Francois, beginning at noon. Tasters will have a choice of over 30 pots of chili to test and cast a vote. Votes are tallied and chili cook winners will be chosen.

A large military vehicle display will be located on the upper Bank of America parking lot.

Kincaid Karacter Puppets will present free performances in the 100 block of rue St. Francois.

St. Louis Community College photography students will present an exhibit of their work.

Other activities will include Old St. Ferdinand Shrine tours, a book fair, food, and a flea market. North Arts Council Art Fair will feature artists demonstrating works from painting to pottery. There will be hands-on activities for children and an art contest exhibit by local schools. A flint knapper will demonstrate how to make stone tools such as arrowheads and spear points near the Shrine.

Entertainment along rue St. Francois will feature the following groups: The Surefire Jugglers, a stiltwalker, Sir Lots a Watts rock band, Florissant Barbershoppers, Pat and Anne Auberry Band, Morning Vision Band, Dixie Rhythm Kings, Cookie the Clown, Dan Sproat (guitar/vocal), storyteller Carol Brady, and Ohms Bros. (guitar/vocal). The Old Barn Boys will perform three, 45-minute country music shows.

For those who may need assistance navigating the length of St. Francois, there will be scooters available for rent and two, six-person golf carts making the run on a regular basis.

Florissant Old Town Partners received a grant from the Missouri Arts Council bringing more art and music to the festival. The Art Festival located near Old St. Ferdinand Shrine continues to grow with exhibits by local artists. The art festival is sponsored by Florissant Valley Community College.

The Northern Arts Council will showcase the work of many local artist as well as perform demonstrations throughout the day. A stage will be set up for local high school age performances for all to enjoy.

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