saint louis
Why is it that national news outlets are all-too-eager to come to STL to write/talk about what’s wrong with our town, but short on the details when great things are happening? Like the recent announcement about plans for a new performing arts incubator called .ZACK, in Grand Center. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation (one of the many charitable and civic-minded groups investing blood, sweat and tears into our city) is developing the 40,000-square-foot historic Cadillac Building at 3224 Locust St., with design by U-Studios of Swansea, Illinois. The new center will include a 200-seat proscenium-style theater to be shared by resident arts organizations; a community scene shop with build-and-paint rooms; a catering company and restaurant by local chef David Kirkland (formerly of Cafe Osage); and fourth-floor ballroom private event space. The first phase of .ZACK—the lobby, theater and second-floor performing arts incubator—is expected to open by August 2016. Local philanthropists Ken and Nancy Kranzaberg, founders of the eponymous foundation, explain: “(We) have always felt that one of the most important things St. Louis has to offer is its cultural vibrancy … Local artists need professional spaces in which to show their talents and hone their crafts, and these are the things that drive people to live and work in the city.” (Second that notion!)
ladue
The annual Ladue Dogwood Parade and Festival will wend its way up Clayton Road on April 30. Anyone who’s witnessed the intimate community happening will tell 
you it’s a feel-good time for everyone involved: participants, residents parked in lawn chairs along the tree-lined route, and kiddos who wave and point at the passing spectacle (and are sometimes rewarded with buttons, lollipops, coupons and other goodies). Parade kickoff is 9:30 a.m. at the Ladue High parking lot on Warson Road, with the menagerie of floats, classic cars, horse-drawn carriages and clowns heading south to Clayton Road and east to Ladue Middle School. Yes, it’s a short jaunt, but a mighty one, given the affluence factor of the tight-knit community. Trophies will be awarded, kids will be face-painted and everyone will be serenaded by The Three Pedros, among other highlights. Firetrucks and police cars will be on display for eager little eyes to peek at, and the Ladue Garden Club will be out in force (maybe you finally can ask that brown-thumb question that has been niggling at you forever?). The Grand Marshall this year is Jim Schiele, chair of the city’s finance committee, and speaking of finance: many Ladue merchants will offer coupons and special discounts—yet another reason to stop and smell the dogwoods this month. The T&S photo booth will be there, so festival goers even can ‘appear on the cover of Town&Style’!
chesterfield
April 22 is the day we’ve set aside to celebrate Mother Earth, and many local communities are doing their part to honor the planet that gives us so much. On April 30, Chesterfield hosts its 25th Earth Day Festival, one of the largest in the region. Opening ceremonies are at 10 a.m. on the parking lot of Chesterfield Mall (lower level center court). The day includes drive-thru recycling, eco-friendly products, information booths and cultural entertainment from Kunama Mtendaji, African storyteller and drum dancer. Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge will have a mobile visitor center to teach us about conserving America’s fish, plants and wildlife, and free document shredding is provided (five-box limit). There will be opportunities to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs safely, as well as to give bicycles a second life through St. Louis Bicycle Works. Interested in doing more good deeds for your needy neighbors and our planetary mother? Used clothing will be collected by Remains, Inc.; building materials re-purposed by Habitat for Humanity; board games and children’s books will go to St. Louis Teacher Recycle Center; unwanted medical equipment will be taken by St. Louis Help; and empty cosmetic containers will be accepted by Origins in the mall. What a way for everyone to pull together and repurpose just about everything! Down with landfills, up with recycling and conservation!
creve coeur
This year’s Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the JCC, will once again present a range of thoughtful films from all over the world. While the movies selected have some relationship to Jewish history or characters, it’s important to note that they deal with basic human issues and situations. There are documentaries like the ones about Norman Lear, Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli cuisine, as well as movies like Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (starring St. Louisan Bryan Greenberg!) about a romantic encounter between a Chinese woman and a Jewish man. The films are relevant to and interesting for the wider population, just like the African film festival held last week at Washington University or the French film festival in November. Don’t miss a great opportunity to view amazing movies not available anywhere else. The festival, held at Landmark Theatres Plaza Frontenac, runs June 5 through 9, with per-film tickets costing $12 at the door, $11 in advance (except for opening day films, which cost $15 or both for $25). Check out stljewishfilmfestival.org for more details. (Town&Style is among the festival’s sponsors).
frontenac
Did you know that besides being an awesome place to borrow books and DVDs, the library hosts lectures, book signings and other enriching events? Yes, it’s true, St. Louis County Library, with its illustrious Headquarters branch on Lindbergh Boulevard in Frontenac, offers a host of fun, charitable and educational events. Why, this month it announced a Sunday children’s author series, with Australian author Andy Griffiths (The 52-Story Treehouse) on April 24 and National book Award winner Sherman Alexie (Thunder Boy Jr.) on May 11. Does someone you know need help with a college application? Or deciphering the confusing miasma of information about colleges, including just how much it will cost them to attend per year? The library even offers free workshops for that! (Create a Great College Resume, April 21; and The Real Cost of College, April 28, both at Headquarters). Take advantage of this free (and fabulous) resource!
ballwin
You know how when you go to Queeny Park it’s you, the trees and maybe a horse or two? If you currently do not take advantage of this priceless community resource, well, shame on you! The 569-acre refuge run by St. Louis County Parks offers the peace and quiet of nature in all its glory. There are foxes and deer, chipmunks and fish, ponds and forest, hills and dales— you get the idea. A new Native Tree Trail was unveiled on Arbor Day (April 2) that adds just a scoch of educational content to the nature-immersion experience. A brochure and interactive signage offer visitors the option to learn about 21 different native trees while they are on their scenic hikes through the West County jewel. The Parks Department partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Forest ReLeaf of Missouri on the project. For those of you who think of Arbor Day as a blip on the Google home page, think again. It’s an opportunity “to learn about trees and take part in a great positive action to make the world a better place,” says the Parks Department. Here, here!
Pictured: St. Louis: .ZACK
