One Tank Trips

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Presents 'Othello,' a Tale of Race, Betrayal, Jealousy and Deceit

The free shows run at 8 p.m. nightly except Tuesdays May 23-June 17 in Shakespeare Glen, east of the St. Louis Art Museum.

One of Justin Blanchard’s fondest memories from performing in the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis production of Hamlet two years ago is the time he spent talking with audience members after each show’s final curtain. “I always like to come out afterwards. We kind of just mingle with the crowd, and talk with people,” he said. “You can grab me afterwards and ask me questions or tell me what you thought. I always welcome that kind of feedback and interaction with people who have questions. I think that’s a really wonderful part about the festival.” Blanchard plays the villainous Iago in this season’s Shakespeare Festival production of Othello, which runs at 8 p.m. nightly except Tuesdays May 23 through June 17 in Shakespeare Glen, just east of…

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25th Annual Laumeier Art Fair Offers 150 Artists, Live Music, Tasty Treats

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.” …

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Share Memories of Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are'

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 "…

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Celebrate O'Fallon History at Founders' Day Saturday

The event at Fort Zumwalt Park on Saturday, offers visitors a look into the past.

One Tank Trips

Cinco de Mayo Offers Diverse Live Music and a Quirky, Colorful Parade

“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, along with 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…

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Celebrate O'Fallon History at Founders' Day

The event at Fort Zumwalt Park on Saturday, offers visitors a look into the past.

Editor's Note: This story was corrected at 9:30 a.m. A previous version stated that Founders' Day would be held throughout downtown O'Fallon. The event is held at Fort Zumwalt Park. If you stop by Fort Zumwalt Park in O’Fallon on Saturday, May 5, you’ll catch a glimpse of what it was like in the days when people made their own clothes, milked their own cows, walked to school and drove buggies and wagons rather than cars. The city is preparing to celebrate O’Fallon Founders’ Day, this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the park.  There will be free activities for the kids, including chances to learn how to do the chores kids did in the pioneer days: learning how to wash clothes the pioneer way, making rope, sewing a patchwork quilt and …

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First Due Fire Museum is Packed With Information, Memorabilia

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 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 fire-fighting memorabilia. “Because we had so much stuff,” Kiehl said, laughing. So much stuff indeed. The 2400-square-foot museum is …

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Alternative Rock Band Stranger's Almanac Plays in O'Fallon

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 takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at Dog Prairie Tavern in O’Fallon, and …

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O'Fallon's Production of 'Annie Jr.' Opens Friday

The musical opens on Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m. at O'Fallon City Hall.

This spring, O'FallonTheatreWorks invites you to follow them through the adventures of 11-year-old orphan Annie. The one-act play opens with performances this weekend at O'Fallon City Hall. Showtimes: Tickets Prices: For a behind the scenes look at the cast of about 20 local kids and adults, check out this video from the City of O'Fallon. For more information, contact Darren Granaas, O’Fallon’s Cultural Arts Coordinator, at 636-474-8150 or dgranaas@ofallon.mo.us.

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Sheri Menscher Finds Creative Outlet in Her Garden

President of Lake Saint Louis Jardin du Lac Garden Club shares secret to good growing conditions.

Strolling the stone walkways at 1820 Briarcommon Drive in Lake Saint Louis, Easter egg-hued flowers bloom in Sheri Menscher’s spring garden.  Tulips, pansies and hybrid columbines burst with cheer, while Spanish Bluebells, Wild Sweet William and Foxglove are reminiscent of a Monet painting. President of the 47 member Jardin du Lac Garden Club, Menscher is smitten with gardening, and says there’s nothing better than rising in the morning and spending the first hour of the day deadheading and weeding flowers. She loves relaxing in her gazebo reading the newspaper and appreciating the surrounding beauty. Menscher was actually a late bloomer to gardening.  She helped her mom plant beautiful flowers growing up on a grain farm off Highway N as a…

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