stlbites.com - st. louis food blog of bill burge

1. Fall colors and fresh air. Less than a half-hour away from the city, the scenic views of the Ozark landscape in the Meramec River valley is spectacular in mid-October, when fall foliage is at its peak.
2. Delicious food and drink. Some of St. Louis’s top restaurants will prepare dishes to sample. Among the participating restaurants are An American Place, Cafe Provencal, Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Gourmet Café, Harvest, Portabella, Rooster, Sage, Sqwire’s Restaurant & Market, and Whole Foods . Menu items range from $2 to $5 each. Schlafly Beer and Mount Pleasant Winery will serve locally made beer and wine.
3. Toe-tapping music. On the main stage, Augusta Bottoms will play American folk music from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., followed by retro-folk, bluegrass and rock with The Flying Mules from 1 to 2:45 p.m., and roots music by Salt of the Earth from 3 to 5 p.m. The Grass Pack will perform bluegrass on the acoustic stage from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
4. Outdoor family fun. Bring the kids for a hayride, pony ride or the petting zoo. Explore the 2,400-acre nature reserve together on your own.
5. Fresh air shopping. Shop the farmer’s market for fresh locally grown produce and locally handmade crafts. A wide assortment of market items will include pumpkins, gourds, broom corn, honey, specialty foods, herbal soap, beeswax candles and jewelry. Vendors are Mount Pleasant Winery, Seven Thunder Bison, Centennial Farms, Sandhill Farm, Little Bear Creek Enterprises, Prairie Grass Farms, Little Pleasures Foods, Ozark Forest Mushrooms, My Beaded Sister & Co., Herbaria, Stinger’s Honey & Beeswax, Our Garden, Hostetter & Co. Woodworks, Homemade Gourmet, It’s All About You!, Down To Earth Gift Baskets, Indian Trail Jewelry.

Harvest Festival admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors age 65 and older, and $3 for Garden members. Children age 12 and under are free. Proceeds from the event benefit the Shaw Nature Reserve. Pets and outside beverages are not allowed. You may bring a cooler to store your fresh produce purchases. Carpooling is recommended since parking space is limited.

The sixth annual Harvest Festival is presented by Sauce Magazine and Schlafly Beer. Sponsors are the Shaw Nature Reserve, Bank of Washington, Washington Missourian, Mount Pleasant Winery, KDHX 88.1 FM, and KWMU 90.7 FM.