Fair St. Louis is an annual festival held during the

United States Independence Day Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

holiday in downtown

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, at the

Gateway Arch National Park Gateway Arch National Park is an American national park located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The memorial was established to commemorate: *the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent westward mov ...

. It is funded by the Veiled Prophet Organization.

History

The event originally named "V.P. Fair" was a successor to the Veiled Prophet Parade,">Jo Mannies, "Profits of Change: VP Fair Revises Name to Broaden Appeal," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' September 24, 1994, image 2
which began as a St. Louis civic celebration in 1878. The first V.P. Fair took place in 1981. "The name 'Fair St. Louis' is expected to be marketable to all parts of the country," said Craig Kaminer, a spokesman for the VP Fair Foundation in 1994. "The vision is to create for St. Louis what the

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

is for

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

." "In addition," he said, "having the new name will send a positive message to those who have not supported the fair in the past . . . who have felt that the fair was not designed with them in mind." Kaminer said that the initials ''VP,'' for ''Veiled Prophet,'' "evoked images of the

Veiled Prophet Ball The Veiled Prophet Parade and Ball was a yearly Festival, civic celebration in St. Louis, Missouri, over which a Characterization, mythical figure called the ''Veiled Prophet'' presided. The first events were in 1878. Overview The parade and ...

and other related events that center around those of wealth and prominence. David Harper, a member of the fair's minority relations committee, said that "The idea of Veiled Prophet is offensive to some people," noting that the VP association excluded blacks from membership until 1979. The fair's first theme, in 2002, was "Many Colors, One Flag, One People."Greg Jonsson, "Fair St. Louis Courts Blacks, Tries to Set Aside Its Past," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' July 4, 2002, image 9
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4th of July parade

Although this fair is held annually, it did not take place in person in July 2020. This was due to the on going Covid-19 pandemic. Instead they shifted it to be held virtually for the year. It did return in person in 2021.

Attendees and Activities dit

The fair expects to see around 800,000-1,000,000 guests attending the fair. The fair offers food, drinks, live music, rides for kids, fireworks on some occasions, contest, and a picini area with tables for their visitors.

References

{{coord, 38.62428, N, 90.18368, W, source:placeopedia, display=title Recurring events established in 1878 Recurring events established in 1981 Culture of St. Louis Fairs in Missouri Parades in the United States Tourist attractions in St. Louis

History

4th of July parade

Attendees and Activities dit

See also

References