Ah, the splendor of springtime in St. Louis! There is no shortage of hip-and-happening events to bask in the outdoors, whether it’s amid awe-inspiring art at the Missouri Botanical Garden, yoga at sunrise under the Gateway Arch, and live music and shakin’ your groove thing at The Sheldon’s Picnics on the Plaza and Missouri History Museum’s Twilight Thursdays concert series.
WHAT: CHIHULY IN THE GARDEN 2023
WHERE: Missouri Botanical Garden
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May 2 to Oct. 15
Art and nature unite for Chihuly in the Garden, a stunning outdoor exhibition of 20 blown-glass installations from world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Thousands of pieces of blown glass were used to create the dramatic artworks that will be displayed throughout the grounds in what is being called the Garden’s “most ambitious exhibition to date.”
In addition to daytime viewing during normal hours of operation, the Garden is also offering Chihuly Nights on select dates from May 13 to Aug. 27 for experiencing the exhibit illuminated at night.
Free with Garden admission ($14 general admission, $6 for St. Louis residents, free for members), Chihuly Nights ($20 to $25 general admission, with special pricing for members and children ages 3-12); missouribotanicalgarden.org
WHAT: SUNRISE YOGA
WHERE: Kiener Plaza
WHEN: 7 a.m. Tuesdays, May 2 to Oct. 31
Breathe in, breathe out and balance your mind with a free 45-minute yoga class as the sun rises atop the Gateway Arch. The all-levels yoga class, hosted by Gateway Arch Park Foundation and Citra Fitness & Movement, is designed to energize and align body and mind through movement and breath.
Pre-registration is not required, but participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to their first class. Bring your own mat and/or towel and water bottle.
Free; archpark.org/events/sunrise-yoga
WHAT: TWILIGHT THURSDAYS
WHERE: Missouri History Museum
WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, May 4, 11, 18 and 25
This spring, Missouri History Museum’s popular outdoor concert series features a lineup of pop, soul, funk, jazz and Latin-inspired music from top local artists and bands, as well as food trucks and more in a family-friendly picnic setting on the north lawn.
First up is the Whitney Houston Anthology (May 4), with vocals performed by Cheryl Brown; followed by the Stax Records Catalog (May 11) featuring the hits of artists like Otis Redding and the Staple Singers with lead vocals by Gene Jackson and Marty Abdullah. Funkology 101 (May 18) has former Bootsy Collins and George Clinton guitarist Dee Dee James of St. Louis’ own Dirty Muggs band and Dave Grelle of Playadors bringing on the funk and performing music by Rick James, the Ohio Players and more. Black Magic: The Santana Experience (May 25) pays tribute to the music of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana throughout the decades.
Free; mohistory.org/twilight-thursdays
WHAT: PICNICS ON THE PLAZA
WHERE: The Sheldon
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., May 21, June 2 and June 11
Local artists with roots in Brazil, Turkey and Great Britain give this season’s Picnics on the Plaza lineup at The Sheldon an international flair. The casual, al fresco concerts on the Steward Family Plaza offer live music in an elegant setting, with options for a boxed picnic dinner and drinks at tables of two to four people.
Kick off the summer with sounds of Carnaval and dance to samba, bossa nova and authentic Brazilian music from Samba Bom on Sunday, May 21. Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Feyza Eren, performing as a duo with pianist Ptah Williams, brings her eclectic repertoire of jazz, pop and traditional genres to the stage Friday, June 2. The Gaslight Squares, led by British trumpeter and historian T.J Múller, will perform authentic 1920s- and ‘30s-era jazz music to close out the series on Sunday, June 11.
$20 (table for two), $40 (table for four), dinner and drink options also available for purchase; thesheldon.org
St. Louis’ Love Affair with Soccer at the Heart of ‘Soccer City’ Exhibit
