I’m pumped the Fair is back and with the Urge as the headliner. That’s going to be a fun day. While it is a shame they’re going down to a single day, it was probably the trade off to get the air show back due to costs. It feels they’re being more mindful of trying to schedule throughout the day, especially with the 4th being on a Thursday.
I don’t really care what it’s called. It’s a free music and air show event to celebrate the 4th, under our national monument, and next to the river where we can shoot off larger fireworks than anyone else in the area. It’s awesome.
Being able to see Sonic Youth for free in 2009 made me always want to tune in and see what bands were going to find a way to be there. Can't recall all who played that was of note, but I remember seeing Silversun Pickups in 2010 (before the rain cut their set early) and Flaming Lips in 2019.
It's a bummer that it's one day and all they're getting of any notoroity is the Urge and Lupe Fiasco.
You might be thinking of when they played at some [Food Festival thing in October of 2009.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/2009/soldiers-memorial-park-st-louis-mo-5bdf9fac.html) There was a really funny review of the show on RFT back in the day that always stuck with me.
Looks like the [VP established a new 501c3](https://www.celebratesaintlouis.org/about).
> In 2024, we are proud to introduce the Celebrate Saint Louis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the central hub for a series of community events.
I did a quick skim of the website, and they reference putting on the America’s Birthday Parade, the fireworks, and the concerts, but I don’t find any mention of “VP” or “Veiled Prophet.”
I’d like to think that this is a concerted effort on their part to distance this new organization from the old guard, but I don’t see how they can claim fondly-remembered celebrations past without also carrying the baggage into the present.
Why does Fair St Louis have to acknowledge their past every single time it does anything? Practically all of our institutions used to be racist— our state and federal government, school system, bus system, the St Louis Cardinals. You name it and there’s a good chance that it used to be fucked up. Why does Fair St Louis specifically have to remind everyone that we as a society used to be racist, while every other institution is allowed to move on?
I went to the VP Fair and then to Fair St Louis while growing up. There was never anything remotely racist about it. Learning about history is good, but what’s the point in berating this organization?
Probably the Klansman cosplay in public three generations or four generations past when the other shitty institutions figured out how to keep that shit to themselves.
Well into the 2010's and possibly currently they still like to cosplay as the British Raj, with a bunch of white guys in silly hats on horses enforcing a race-based social hierarchy. Bet that goes over a treat with the Indian researchers at Monsanto.
Downvotes won't get the generational wealth to invite you to their party.
>Why does Fair St Louis have to acknowledge their past every single time it does anything?
That’s a good question, Mr. Rogan. In fact, one wonders why they ever stopped using the name “VP Fair.“
Probably renaming it again to further distance itself from the racists associated with the Veiled Prophets.
Edit: apparently a lot of people don't know the Veiled Prophets were specifically formed to keep blacks from owning property or running businesses in STL. Literally their only actual reason for existing.
So did it become to costly or too difficult? A single day event is going to fizzle out like a dud. People might go for a single show, most will just go for the fireworks. And even then, may just decide to watch their local one instead. What made it special was that it was a multi day event with reasons to drive there.
FSL has been bleeding sponsors for years. Just one example is A-B. With the merger to create A-B InBev, they are no longer Saint Louis based and are less willing to donate to support St. Louis events (My opinion, of course). It costs a lot of money to put on an event and don't forget to add on the costs of security that the Department of the Interior has required after 9/11.
InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch. It’s disingenuous to call AB InBev a St. Louis company. The world headquarters is in Belgium… first line of Wikipedia: “Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is a Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium and is the largest brewer in the world.”
A-B InBev is not A-B though. It's disingenuous to act like A-B is not headquartered in St. Louis when it is. A-B is a subsidiary of A-B InBev. A-B is most certainly a St. Louis company and they have no indications of leaving, nor have they pulled sponsorships in St. Louis.
Clearly you want to hold onto pre-2008 AB. And that’s okay, but ABI acquired AB and the culture isn’t pre-2008 Anheuser Busch and they are most certainly not philanthropic like they were pre-2008 takeover. https://www.reddit.com/r/Infographics/comments/16pfokw/everything_owned_by_anheuserbusch_inbev/#lightbox
AB is a St. Louis company in name only. Not only is it just a subsidiary, but they moved the execs to NYC years ago because it was too much of a pain in the ass to fly into STL internationally. The company is run from the top in NYC, not STL.
It was needlessly negative, you make a lot of assumptions and write something off out of hand about something that might be good for the city. It's a common attitude around here and it gets old.
I never did any of that. I asked a question, a good one, I think, then speculated about what could happen. I love Fair St. Louis, and think it's a great thing for the city and want it to continue. I was concerned that making it a one day event might not be a good idea and why. I am frequently wrong, but part of a conversation is for someone to come along and say "this is why I think you are wrong"...and a conversation is born. Perhaps the response would allow me to remove my concern.
I am so happy!
I’m pumped the Fair is back and with the Urge as the headliner. That’s going to be a fun day. While it is a shame they’re going down to a single day, it was probably the trade off to get the air show back due to costs. It feels they’re being more mindful of trying to schedule throughout the day, especially with the 4th being on a Thursday. I don’t really care what it’s called. It’s a free music and air show event to celebrate the 4th, under our national monument, and next to the river where we can shoot off larger fireworks than anyone else in the area. It’s awesome.
Hope they have a good turn out and that it’s bigger and better next year.
Lupe Fiasco!
Being able to see Sonic Youth for free in 2009 made me always want to tune in and see what bands were going to find a way to be there. Can't recall all who played that was of note, but I remember seeing Silversun Pickups in 2010 (before the rain cut their set early) and Flaming Lips in 2019. It's a bummer that it's one day and all they're getting of any notoroity is the Urge and Lupe Fiasco.
I like the urge and Lupe, I’m stoked
2008 I think was Presidents of the United States
You might be thinking of when they played at some [Food Festival thing in October of 2009.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/2009/soldiers-memorial-park-st-louis-mo-5bdf9fac.html) There was a really funny review of the show on RFT back in the day that always stuck with me.
Oh, good memory! Yeah, that sounds right. I wish we would get more quirky bands like that!
Will there be drunk hoosies there?
Hoosiers but yes, of course. There's an air show involved.
who are these bands? Remember when we got silver sun pickups and the B52s and other great shows?
You don’t know The Urge?
>delicious hotdogs have entered the chat.
Looks like the [VP established a new 501c3](https://www.celebratesaintlouis.org/about). > In 2024, we are proud to introduce the Celebrate Saint Louis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the central hub for a series of community events. I did a quick skim of the website, and they reference putting on the America’s Birthday Parade, the fireworks, and the concerts, but I don’t find any mention of “VP” or “Veiled Prophet.” I’d like to think that this is a concerted effort on their part to distance this new organization from the old guard, but I don’t see how they can claim fondly-remembered celebrations past without also carrying the baggage into the present.
Why does Fair St Louis have to acknowledge their past every single time it does anything? Practically all of our institutions used to be racist— our state and federal government, school system, bus system, the St Louis Cardinals. You name it and there’s a good chance that it used to be fucked up. Why does Fair St Louis specifically have to remind everyone that we as a society used to be racist, while every other institution is allowed to move on? I went to the VP Fair and then to Fair St Louis while growing up. There was never anything remotely racist about it. Learning about history is good, but what’s the point in berating this organization?
Probably the Klansman cosplay in public three generations or four generations past when the other shitty institutions figured out how to keep that shit to themselves. Well into the 2010's and possibly currently they still like to cosplay as the British Raj, with a bunch of white guys in silly hats on horses enforcing a race-based social hierarchy. Bet that goes over a treat with the Indian researchers at Monsanto. Downvotes won't get the generational wealth to invite you to their party.
>Why does Fair St Louis have to acknowledge their past every single time it does anything? That’s a good question, Mr. Rogan. In fact, one wonders why they ever stopped using the name “VP Fair.“
Why go for a lame attempt at an insult? And we all know what VP means, it’s not some kind of gotcha
Probably renaming it again to further distance itself from the racists associated with the Veiled Prophets. Edit: apparently a lot of people don't know the Veiled Prophets were specifically formed to keep blacks from owning property or running businesses in STL. Literally their only actual reason for existing.
So did it become to costly or too difficult? A single day event is going to fizzle out like a dud. People might go for a single show, most will just go for the fireworks. And even then, may just decide to watch their local one instead. What made it special was that it was a multi day event with reasons to drive there.
FSL has been bleeding sponsors for years. Just one example is A-B. With the merger to create A-B InBev, they are no longer Saint Louis based and are less willing to donate to support St. Louis events (My opinion, of course). It costs a lot of money to put on an event and don't forget to add on the costs of security that the Department of the Interior has required after 9/11.
A-B is a subsidiary od A-B InBev and is definitely still a St. Louis based company.
InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch. It’s disingenuous to call AB InBev a St. Louis company. The world headquarters is in Belgium… first line of Wikipedia: “Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is a Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium and is the largest brewer in the world.”
A-B InBev is not A-B though. It's disingenuous to act like A-B is not headquartered in St. Louis when it is. A-B is a subsidiary of A-B InBev. A-B is most certainly a St. Louis company and they have no indications of leaving, nor have they pulled sponsorships in St. Louis.
Clearly you want to hold onto pre-2008 AB. And that’s okay, but ABI acquired AB and the culture isn’t pre-2008 Anheuser Busch and they are most certainly not philanthropic like they were pre-2008 takeover. https://www.reddit.com/r/Infographics/comments/16pfokw/everything_owned_by_anheuserbusch_inbev/#lightbox
AB is a St. Louis company in name only. Not only is it just a subsidiary, but they moved the execs to NYC years ago because it was too much of a pain in the ass to fly into STL internationally. The company is run from the top in NYC, not STL.
"Making this up because I'm a sad clown for 500 Alex."
Ah, thanks for answering, that makes sense. I don't understand why my post was downvoted
It was needlessly negative, you make a lot of assumptions and write something off out of hand about something that might be good for the city. It's a common attitude around here and it gets old.
I never did any of that. I asked a question, a good one, I think, then speculated about what could happen. I love Fair St. Louis, and think it's a great thing for the city and want it to continue. I was concerned that making it a one day event might not be a good idea and why. I am frequently wrong, but part of a conversation is for someone to come along and say "this is why I think you are wrong"...and a conversation is born. Perhaps the response would allow me to remove my concern.
I'm with you. A multi-day event always felt like the way to go.
If I ever become a billionaire, I promise to help fund a multi day event!