ST. LOUIS — Fair Saint Louis kicks off on the Fourth of July with another year of America's biggest birthday celebration.
The event is free and is taking place in downtown St. Louis under the Arch at Gateway Arch National Park.
Here's everything you need to know to have a fun and safe Fourth of July celebration at Fair Saint Louis.
Parade
America’s Birthday Parade, formerly known as the VP Parade, will roll down Market Street on the Fourth of July. It’s set to start at 9:30 a.m. at 20th and Market and will end at Market and Broadway. This year’s theme is ‘We The People!’ The parade will feature 14 marching bands from across the region, 21 floats, huge balloon characters and special performances throughout the parade.
Fireworks
Fireworks are scheduled every night from Wednesday through Saturday. Wednesday events are limited to Kiener Plaza, and the fireworks are scheduled to start at 9:50 p.m. that night only. The Fair Saint Louis Arch grounds will be open Thursday through Saturday. Fireworks are set to start at 9:35 p.m. July 4-6.
Concerts
All concerts are free to attend. The main stage is set up under the Arch. Concert headliners for the Fourth of July are Brett Young and Brandy Houser. Headliners for July 5 are Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill. Headliners for July 6 are The Flaming Lips and Vertical Horizon.
Other attractions
There are several events and attractions scheduled throughout Fair Saint Louis. The popular Boeing Air Show will be back with several performances throughout the event, and Purina’s dog performance team also will put on a show for fans on the Arch grounds every day of Fair Saint Louis. Check out the full list of daily events at the bottom of this story.
The Purina Festival Zone will be the perfect place to take the kids for hands-on fun, including face painting and a ninja warrior course. There’s also the Interactive Zone where kids and adults alike can check out the latest products or sample new foods and beverages from local, regional and national brands. Take a look at the map below to see where everything is set up on the Arch grounds.
Weather
Keep an eye on the weather this Fourth of July holiday weekend. We are expecting scattered thunderstorms Thursday through the entire holiday weekend. Each afternoon and early evening there will be a threat for showers and a few t-storms. That’s not the only concern though. It’ll also be warm and muggy each day. High temperatures will reach the upper 80s to about 90 Thursday through the weekend. Stay with 5 On Your Side for the latest developments. Bookmark our live interactive radar here and check out the latest forecast here. Also be sure to download our free weather and news apps to get weather and event alerts sent straight to your phone.
5 On Your Side weather app
iPhone | Google Play
5 On Your Side news app
iPhone | Google Play
Getting in
There are four entry points to get into the fair:
- Market Street, between Broadway and Fourth Street
- Fourth Street, between Walnut and Market
- Chestnut at Memorial Drive
- North area of the Arch grounds
Getting there and parking
Several streets, ramps and exits will be closed leading up to and throughout Fair Saint Louis. A full list is below. Organizers suggest biking to the fair, using Metrolink, using ride-sharing services or taxis. Parking garages are available throughout downtown. Check out this map to see which lot or garage will work best for you. You can pre-pay for parking in several lots by clicking here.
Street closures:
- Northbound Memorial Drive from Walnut to Poplar
- Walnut Street exit off I-44 and the Poplar Street bridge (I-40/64)
- Closing at 4 am on July 1 and will re-open at 8 pm on July 9
- Walnut Street from Memorial Drive to 4th Street
- Closing July 2 at 6:00 am and will re-open on July 8 at 6:00 am
- Market Street from Broadway to Memorial
- Market Street from Memorial Drive to 4th Street
- Northbound Memorial Drive from Walnut to Market
- Fourth Street from Walnut to Chestnut
- Closing at 6:00 am on July 4 and will re-open at 10 pm on July 6
- Washington from First Street to Second Street
Items you can bring
- Blankets, umbrellas, portable/collapsible chairs
- Baby strollers, wagons, diaper bags
- Electric wheelchairs
- Regular-size bags
- One factory-sealed water bottle up to 1 liter, empty plastic water bottle
- Binoculars
- Pocket-size/still camera equipment
- Service animals
*All items subject to inspection
Items you can’t bring
- Alcoholic drinks, outside food, glass or metal containers, unsealed containers bigger than 1 liter, coolers
- Knives, explosives
- Drones, selfie sticks
- Pets
- Bikes, skateboards, scooters
- Fireworks
- Pop-up tents
- Professional recording and/or photography equipment
- Signs, banners
Schedule of events
July 3
Events on this day are only in Kiener Plaza’s ParadeTown area. The Arch grounds open July 4.
3 p.m. ParadeTown opens
3 p.m. Dave Glover Show Live and Jersey County corn hole tournament
4 p.m. Solar Sound Marching Band
4:30 p.m. DJ Random
5:30 p.m. ARMY Golden Knights Jump
6 p.m. Louie the Blues mascot greets fans
7 p.m. Balloon Glow
7:30 p.m. Jake’s Leg
9:50 p.m. Fireworks
July 4
7:30 a.m. America’s Birthday 5K Race
9:30 a.m. 137th America’s Birthday Parade
12 p.m. Fair Saint Louis opens
12 p.m. Purina Festival Zone and STEAM Exhibit
12:30 p.m. Boeing Air Show
2 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
4:30 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
5 p.m. Boeing Air Show
6 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
6:30 p.m. Randy Houser
8:15 p.m. Brett Young
9:35 p.m. Edward Jones Fireworks
July 5
4 p.m. Fair Saint Louis
4:30 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
5 p.m. Boeing Air Show
6:15 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
6:30 p.m. Johnny Gill
8:15 p.m. Keith Sweat
9:35 p.m. Edward Jones Fireworks
July 6
12 p.m. Fair Saint Louis opens
12:30 p.m. Boeing Air Show
2 p.m. Fire for Effect
2 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
3:30 p.m. Rubi
4:15 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
4:30 p.m. Salute to the Troops presented by Express Scripts and Express Scripts Foundation
5 p.m. Boeing Air Show
6 p.m. Purina’s Pro Plan Performance Team
6:30 p.m. Vertical Horizon
8:15 p.m. The Flaming Lips
9:35 p.m. Edward Jones Fireworks