If your allergies didn’t alert you, the calendar confirms we have officially entered the "festival every weekend" phase of the St. Louis calendar. We managed to dodge any dramatic spring downpours last week, leaving the city with just enough mild, breezy weather to clear the path for street-level celebrations, a heavy dose of cross-state baseball rivalry, and a massive finish to the state legislative session.
The Weekend Recap: From Bagpipes to Base Hits
Community Traditions & Block Parties
The neighborhood calendar was anchored by cultural heritage and local art. Out in Manchester, the St. Louis Scottish Games brought thousands together for traditional caber tossing, live bagpipes, and deep cultural storytelling that made a massive regional gathering feel like a tight-knit block party. Down on Delmar, the Third Degree Glass Factory opened its doors for its signature third-Friday "Fire & Ice" showcase, proving once again that the city's independent art scene can throw the best community block parties in town. Meanwhile, over in College Hill, the Office of Violence Prevention hosted a vibrant neighborhood kickback, bringing residents together for food, local resources, and summer youth activity planning.
An Annual Spectacle of Touring Oddities
Downtown witnessed a beautifully bizarre transformation as the annual Oddities & Curiosities Expo 2026 took over America’s Center on Saturday. The convention hall was packed with thousands of locals searching for unique taxidermy, gothic home decor, and independent dark art. It was a spectacular showcase of the country’s stranger subcultures, bringing vibrant foot traffic and eccentric energy directly into the heart of the central business district.
The Major League Scoreboard
St. Louis Cardinals: The I-70 Series returned to Busch Stadium with incredible energy. The Redbirds thrilled the home crowd by taking the first two games of the cross-state clash against the Kansas City Royals, winning 5-4 on Friday and keeping the momentum alive with a 4-2 victory on Saturday afternoon behind key hits from Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn.
St. Louis CITY SC: The boys traveled to the nation's capital for a tough battle against D.C. United at Audi Field. After a spectacular 49th-minute goal from Chris Durkin put City SC ahead, a late 89th-minute equalizer by D.C. resulted in a hard-fought 1-1 draw, securing a valuable point on the road despite navigating a flurry of late-game yellow cards.
The Week in Review: Business, Policy, and Infrastructure
Statehouse Boost for Downtown Vacancies
The final day of the Missouri legislative session brought a massive structural win for downtown St. Louis. Lawmakers officially passed House Bill 3080, which restores and expands the state’s historic tax credit program, alongside House Bill 3231, an economic development package that introduces specialized innovation zone subsidy districts. For our local blocks, this legislative push provides critical office-to-residential development tax credits—a targeted policy tool designed by urban advocates to finally transform large corporate vacancies into thriving residential communities. Source: KSDK Politics & Economy
Neighborhood Reflection in North City
Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the severe EF-3 tornado that tore through North St. Louis. Community organizers and neighborhood leaders gathered to evaluate recovery efforts, particularly highlighting the resilience of grassroots mutual aid networks like the People's Response. While advocates pointed out ongoing hurdles with governmental fund distribution, the gathering was ultimately a masterclass in neighborhood solidarity, showing how communities look out for each other long after the initial storm clears. Source: St. Louis Public Square Conversations
Board of Aldermen Steps Into Summer Planning
The full Board of Aldermen convened for their general session on Friday, May 15. With the summer break approaching in July, the chambers shifted focus toward municipal logistics, public infrastructure committees, and fine-tuning the neighborhood improvement budgets. Keeping a close eye on these early summer sessions is where the funding blueprints for local parks, lighting, and sidewalk repairs are officially solidified. Source: City of St. Louis Public Meeting Hub
Business Incubation Gains Regional Traction
The regional conversation around industrial infrastructure hit an inflection point following the recent Commercial Summit. Local business networks are collaborating to address a specific economic bottleneck: the critical need to remediate vacant land into 50–150-acre, "shovel-ready" industrial plots. Following the momentum of large-scale manufacturing projects in North County, local business districts are aggressively pursuing infrastructure strategies to keep expanding companies right here inside the city limits. Source: St. Louis REALTORS Advocacy Network