Fair Saint Louis
Established in 1878 and reconstituted in 1981, the Veiled Prophet Fair, nominally the Fair Saint Louis starting in 1992, is an annual festival held during the July 4 holiday in downtown St. Louis, Missouri at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. In 2014, the 250th anniversary of St. Louis, the events will be in Forest Park on Art Hill instead, due to construction at the Arch.[1] The event drew approximately 250,000 people to Forest Park - more than any event in more than a century.[2][3] Some call it "America's largest birthday party". The event showcases a variety of attractions, educational activities, a barbecue competition, stages featuring popular entertainers, and an enormous fireworks display held nightly.
Background
Known as the "Veiled Prophet Fair" (or sometimes just "VP Fair") to the public, and officially prior to 1992, Fair Saint Louis was organized by the Veiled Prophet Organization, a secret society of prominent St. Louisans who also put on the "Veiled Prophet Ball", a debutante ball held annually in December, as well as the Veiled Prophet Parade, which usually kicks off Fair Saint Louis.
2014 Music Schedule
The 2014 Fair St. Louis Musical Schedule[4] is as follows. Unlike in previous years, there will be no airshow at Fair St. Louis in 2014. The fair got off to a smooth start on July 3.[5] Fair St. Louis schedule (.PDF)
July 3
- USAF Band of Mid-America’s Hot Brass Band
- Smash Band
- Thompson Square
- The Band Perry
- Fireworks
July 4
- Roots of a Rebellion
- The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
- Bella & Lily
- Cabaret Singers
- Bedouin Spice Belly Dancers
- Mary Lambert
- Gavin DeGraw
- Matt Nathanson
- Bonnie Raitt
- Fireworks
July 5
- USAF Band of Mid-America’s Hot Brass Band
- Dirty Muggs
- En Vogue
- Musiq Soulchild
- Alma De Mexico
- Fox Performing Arts
- Capital Cities
- The Neighbourhood
- The Fray
- Fireworks
2013 Music Schedule
The lineup for the 2013 Fair St. Louis Musical Schedule was as follows:[6]
July 4
July 5
- Brett Michaels
July 6
References
- ↑ "Forest Park presents new opportunities for Fair St. Louis". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Fair St. Louis in Forest Park drew thousands without the traffic headaches". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 5, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.fairsaintlouis.org/fair-saint-louis-draws-250000-forest-park/ FAIR SAINT LOUIS DRAWS 250,000 TO FOREST PARK
- ↑ "Fair St. Louis Music Schedule". June 2014.
- ↑ "Fair St. Louis in Forest Park gets off to a smooth start". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Fair St. Louis Music Schedule". July 2013.
- Spencer, Thomas M. The St. Louis Veiled Prophet Celebration: Power on Parade, 1877-1995 (University of Missouri Press: 2000).
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fair Saint Louis. |
- Veiled Prophet Grand March music by 19th century St. Louis composer J. W. Postlewaite
- Veiled Prophet Photographs collections at the University of Missouri–St. Louis
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Coordinates: 38°37′27″N 90°11′01″W / 38.62428°N 90.18368°W