Friday, May 11, 2012
The fair features fine art and fine craft, including basket weaver Helen Springer, and live performances by Erin Bode, Farshid Etniko and more.
Artists in a variety of styles from visual to vocal highlight the 25th annual Laumeier Art Fair today through Sunday at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills. The fair, which also offers a packed lineup of musical entertainers including vocalist Erin Bode and the group Farshid Etniko, has become a tradition to many area people. “It’s fantastic,” said Marie Oberkirsch, special events manager at Laumeier. “I was just reviewing one of our old binders from 1989, and it was just so much fun to see how the event has really grown. Just from my own experience, I know that there are a lot of families now who come out to celebrate Mother’s Day with us. And it’s not just mothers and daughters, but now we’ve got granddaughters coming out as well.” …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sendak has died at age 83. Tell us your memories of reading his books—especially "Where the Wild Things Are."
My two children are well above the age when they'd sit still for their mother and father reading a book to them. It won't be that many years before they have their own children. They'll be doing the reading. And I have no doubt that Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" will be among the books they crack open and recite. On Tuesday, we learned that the author of perhaps one of the most famous children's books of all time had died at the age of 83. The New York Times' report said the author had died from complications after a recent stroke. Writers have lauded Sendak's worth, but in particular his ability to craft children's stories out of what might have been considered "untraditional" — monsters "roaring their terrible roars" and "…
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Kellin Quinn’s juggling earned him a $3,000 scholarship, and Anissa Quilling's singing earned her a $1,500 scholarship at the St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition.
Congratulations to Kellin Quinn for earning third place and to Anissa Quilling for wining a scholarship this past weekend at the St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition. Kellin’s third place win will bring him a $3,000 scholarship, which he plans to use to attend circus school after he graduates from high school. Kellin was raised around circus acts: his brother juggles, and his mother used to perform trapeze, fire eating as well as juggling. “I’ve been juggling those for so long, it’s just kind of second (nature) to me, muscle memory,” he told Florissant Patch before the competition. “I’ve kind of been juggling for all of my life. It’s just something that I’ve always enjoyed doing.” Anissa, a student at McCluer North High School, won …
Friday, May 4, 2012
“It’s definitely one of the most unique parades that I’ve ever seen,” said co-organizer Jason Deem.
Live music with a Latin and a rock flavor, art demonstrations and a quirky, colorful parade highlight Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street. The event starts runs from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Saturday in south St. Louis. “It’s definitely one of the most unique parades that I’ve ever seen,” said Jason Deem, who co-organizes the celebration with Will Liebermann. “It’s something I think would only happen on Cherokee because we’ve got so many artists and so many creative people who come together to make it happen." The festival, in its 15th year, should be muy bueno. “The festival’s been increasing in size every year,” Deem said. “And we’re expecting a huge crowd this year because May 5 actually falls on a Saturday. We’re adding a third stage this …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
McCluer High School students and performances were nominated for a Cappies Award — the Tony Award for high school theater.
High school theater performers from McCluer High School received more than 25 nomiations in this year's Cappies — the high school equivalent of the Tony Awards on Broadway. The list came out Monday with nominees from plays and musicals throughout the St. Louis and St. Charles county areas. The awards will be announced at the annual Cappies gala on May 19, at 6 p.m., at the Pillsbury Chapel and Dale Williams Fine Arts Center on the campus of Missouri Baptist University. McCluer scored a best musical nomination for its production of Dreamgirls, along with its lead actress, Alexis Tucker, for best actress in a musical. Several other students from McCluer received various nominations for their work. Last year, McCluer lead the way in the …
Sunday, April 29, 2012
The museum, located in the St. Louis Mills, features vast collections of gear, plus displays explaining the world of firefighting, a tribute to the Sept. 11 first responders, and more.
When it comes to hot exhibits sure to get visitors fired up, the First Due Fire Museum at the St. Louis Mills in Hazelwood is sizzling. The museum was founded on May 10, 2004, by firefighters Eric Kiehl, Chester Jones and Steve Arnold as a way to promote fire safety education. “The goal for the museum was education,” Kiehl said. “Letting the public know what firefighters are all about – the type of work that we do, the type of equipment that we use, the gear that we wear – mainly it was an educational thing.” But there was another reason the three decided to open a museum packed with a fascinating collection of firefighting memorabilia. “Because we had so much stuff,” Kiehl said, laughing. So much stuff indeed. The 2,400-square-foot museum…
Friday, April 27, 2012
Anissa Quilling will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships at the finale of the second annual St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition.
Anissa Quilling needed the right song. She wanted to sign up for the second annual St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition. Her friends were doing it. There was a big poster on a bulletin board at her school, McCluer North. But when she searched for something to show off the voice she’s famous for in the school choir and church praise team, she couldn’t find the right song. That’s when Tracy Baker, her choir director, stepped in—just in time and with the perfect music: “The Girl in 14-G,” which tells the story of a quiet introvert living above an opera singer and below a jazz singer. “He was excited when he gave it to me,” Quilling said. “He was like, this is perfect for you, so I tried it and I loved it. After the first round, I was …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Kellin Quinn, a sophomore from Florissant, will juggle clubs and compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships at the St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition
Juggling is in Kellin Quinn’s blood. The high school sophomore said he was “just drawn to” juggling 10 years ago, and he’s been tossing balls, rings and clubs ever since. He had plenty of nearby inspiration; his brother juggles, and his mother used to perform trapeze, fire eating as well as juggling. “I’ve been juggling those for so long, it’s just kind of second (nature) to me, muscle memory,” he said. “I’ve kind of been juggling for all of my life. It’s just something that I’ve always enjoyed doing.” This month, Kellin will compete against 10 other acts (including another juggler) at the Fabulous Fox Theater for the finale of the St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase Competition. “I would really like to win, it’s just not my main focus,” Kellin…
Friday, April 20, 2012
The band's gig starts at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and covers songs by Radiohead, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt and more.
Acoustic rock/current alternative group Stranger’s Almanac takes pride in being an atypical bar band. “Last time (we played) we got a lot of compliments on our particular song selection,” said band leader Chris Brokaw. “Like, ‘Wow, you guys do a really interesting version of that song,’ or ‘Wow, I love that song. I’ve never heard a band play that out.' That’s kind of what we’re going for.” Stranger’s Almanac features Brokaw on guitar and vocals, drummer, percussionist and backup vocalist Aaron Brokaw (Chris’s brother), Josh White playing guitar, mandolin and harmonica and adding vocals, vocalist Becky Kerley, and Mandy Brokaw, Chris’s wife, on bass. The band will start at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Dog Prairie Tavern in O’Fallon, and they are …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
We want Florissant residents to share with us their photos and memories of the past Valley of Flower festivals.
The Valley of Flowers Festival has been an honored tradition for Florissant for 50 years this spring, and we want to know about your favorite times. With the golden anniversary approaching, we want readers to share their memories and favorite parts of the festival, and we want to see your favorite photos. Just click on "Upload photos and videos" to show us your photos, and share your story in the caption or comments section below. (Make sure to get our daily newsletter for all of the latest information on the festival.) Leading up to the festival, we hope to feature the photos and memories in a gallery to honor the Florissant tradition.
Gabrielle
1:44 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Loved to use this story in my KG classroom over the years; the children loved the idea of monsters who were manageable and fun:-) We also loved "Chicken Soup With Rice" and "Pierre." I remember I had the books AND the recordings to go with--we'd sing and sing! more ›