The best 7 ways (and a bonus!) to spend Labor Day weekend in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — St. Louis does Labor Day right. There are festivals celebrating foreign cultures from Japan to Greece. There are concerts at the zoo and the Landing. There are grapes to stomp into wine, art to buy from a fair, and even a weekend-long Cardinals series worth getting excited about. Here are the best things to do this Labor Day weekend. We guarantee they’re all more fun than sitting on your couch.

Teleport to Japan

Beautiful evening yesterday at the Japanese Festival. Really impressed with all the cosplayers this year! Be sure to check it out today and tomorrow if you haven't already. . . . #missouribotanicalgarden #japanesefestival #labordayweekend #mobot #botanicalgarden #outdoors #japanesegarden #japan #gardensofinstagram #garden #weekendfun #lantern #summer #explorestlouis #stl #stlouis

A post shared by Katie (@katiel_carter) on Sep 2, 2018 at 6:08am PDT

With the banging of taiko drums, bon odori dancing and martial arts demonstrations, the Botanical Garden completely transforms for this yearly fete of all things Japanese. During the days, guided tours help guests learn more about the complex’s impressive Japanese gardens, while self-guided candlelit walks in the evenings let attendees explore for themselves. A host of vendors sell merchandise, food and art, letting you take a piece of the celebration home too.

Japanese Festival at the St. Louis Botanical Garden

Hear One Last Concert at the Zoo

The free Jungle Boogie concert series, which takes place at the Schnuck Family Plaza right in the middle of the St. Louis Zoo, wraps up after August 30. The last concert of the summer features Ticket to the Beatles, a 20-plus-year-old Beatles cover band. Come for drink specials or bring a cooler if you prefer to BYO, sit back, and enjoy the sounds of Beatles classics paired with the odd elephant trumpet or lion roar here or there.

Jungle Boogie Concert Series

Redecorate for Fall

Happy Wednesday! Here’s an example of what one of my booth walls might look like at the Queeny Art Fair this weekend. The smaller metal prints (12x18”) are easy to find wall space for and are only $170. Feel free to DM or email for more info! . . #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram #artist #art #artwork #artforsale #artforsalebyartist #fineart #fineartphotography #fineartphotographer #stlouis #gslaa #artfairatqueenypark #stlouisgram #stlouisonly #stlouisevents #buyart #buyartonline #stlouisartist #stlouisart #stlouisartfair #infraredphotography #infrared

A post shared by Matthew Stuart Piper (@matthew_stuart_piper) on Aug 29, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

The long-running Art Fair at Queeny Park returns with over 130 juried artists from all over the country. Whether you’d just like to window shop the exhibitions or you actually intend to pick up a few works for your gallery, there are plenty of activities and wine tastings to keep you entertained as you wander the stalls.

The Art Fair at Queeny Park

Stuff Yourself With Gyros and Spanakopita

Getting our Greek on this weekend. At 101 years strong the Greek Festival is an important part of STL history. . . . . #stlverified #stlhistory #stl #stlouis #greekfestival #stlgreekfestival

A post shared by Stl Verified (@stlverified) on Sep 2, 2018 at 1:35pm PDT

For over 100 years St. Louis has celebrated its Greek immigrants with a yearly festival. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in the Central West End offers guests tons of food from gyros to baklava, along with music and dancing to work off the calories, church tours, and an extensive gift shop.

St. Louis Greek Festival

Stomp Grapes at a Winery Harvest Fest

August 31st ✅ Recreate that “I Love Lucy” moment at our Grape Stompin’ Barrel to squish grapes -- between your toes and snap a pic during our Harvest Festival! #missouriwinecountry #grapestomp #harvestfestival #stonehillwinery @visithermann @visitmo

A post shared by Stone Hill Winery (@stonehillwinery) on Aug 16, 2019 at 11:41am PDT

Event details suggest guests come “dressed as farmers” to the Harvest Festival at Stonehill Winery out in Hermann. That outfit will be helpful if you decide to get in on the grape stomping. The boozy grape juice is the main event for many attendees who make the trip out west, but there’s plenty of family-friendly fun too with pumpkin painting and lunch and dinner.

Stonehill Winery Harvest Festival

Jam Out to Blues

Who's excited for the weekend and #BigMuddyBluesFestival ? We ARE! Tag this post with a friend you'd bring and you're entered to win weekend passes. Winner Announced by 8pm tonight! #lacledeslanding #stl #BigMuddy16

A post shared by Big Muddy Blues Fest STL (@bigmuddybluesfest) on Sep 2, 2016 at 8:41am PDT

The historic Big Muddy Blues Festival blows back into Laclede’s Landing over Labor Day weekend, sweeping up tens of thousands of music fans into a whirlwind of soulful guitar, bass and vocals. The Saturday concert is completely free, with vendors selling refreshments to thirsty fans. With the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch for a backdrop, the Landing makes the perfect spot for one last outdoor summer concert.

Big Muddy Blues Festival

Enjoy a Late-Summer Baseball Game

-- PLAYS GLORIA --

A post shared by St. Louis Cardinals (@cardinals) on May 7, 2019 at 9:17pm PDT

As summer winds down, baseball season heats up. Catch a late summer game at Busch Stadium, as the Cards defend their leading position in the NL Central against the lagging Cincinnati Reds. Given the Cardinals’ miraculous turnaround since May, this is a great time to join the momentum leading the team to the postseason.

St. Louis Cardinals Schedule

BONUS: Riverfest returns to St. Charles!

And an event that got washed away by flooding this year will return to St. Charles this weekend. Riverfest takes place on Riverside Drive in St. Charles. There will be live music, a Fountain City Amusement Carnival, and food and craft vendors. Fireworks will be at 9:20 p.m. Saturday

Riverfest in St. Charles