What's New in The Lou: January 1st

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK:
More “Best in The Lou” WINNERS! 🎉🎉🎉

Ring in the New Year by visiting more “Best in The Lou” 2025 award winners!👇

This round is all about doing the local St. Louis experience right… Lazy mornings, cold pours, sunny patios, and local finds! ☀️🍳🍺👇

🍳 Best Brunch Spot: Hatch’d

If brunch had a personality, it would be Hatch’d. Perfectly runny eggs and crave-worthy classics, they have plates that make you pause mid-bite. This popular South City spot turns “let’s grab brunch” into a full-blown event. It is worth the wait.

🍺 Best Brewery: Modern Brewery

The place is always popping when you pass it on 40 during happy hour. Modern’s ever-rotating tap list means there’s always something new to try, and the laid-back neighborhood vibes make it dangerously easy to stay for “just one more.”

🌿 Best Patio: McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden

McGurk’s didn’t just win “Best Patio”… it defines the category. This legendary patio is peak Soulard energy, turning every occasion into a celebration. And don’t miss the live music too!

🥕 Best Farmers Market: Tower Grove Farmers’ Market

A true Saturday morning ritual. One of the city’s most beautiful parks, Tower Grove is where fresh bread, local produce, live music, and friendly dogs all collide. It’s part grocery run, part social hour, and 100% positive weekend vibes.

What’s Happenin’ in St. Louis 👀

Friday, January 2nd

• Alton Eagle Ice Festival (Multiple locations, Alton) – This festival celebrates the return of the bald eagles. At FLOCK Food Truck Park in Alton, you can warm up by fire pits with s’mores kits, sample local food and drinks, listen to a live DJ, and watch sculptors transform blocks of ice into intricate designs. The nearby National Great Rivers Museum hosts educational talks and kid‑friendly crafts, and the Audubon Center at Riverlands provides hikes and a bald eagle meet and greet. Eagle watching tours are also provided by shuttle. Events are held Friday Jan. 2 and Saturday Jan. 3.

• St. Louis Blues vs Vegas Golden Knights (Enterprise Center) – Hockey fans can usher in the new year by cheering on the Blues against Vegas. Puck drops at 2 pm!

• VooDoo Talking Heads (The Pageant)- Voodoo Talking Heads return to The Pageant on January 2nd and 3rd for two nights of high-energy tribute fun. Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players will recreate Stop Making Sense live on stage complete with iconic choreography, funky rhythms, and the Big Suit. Each night features a different setlist, making it a full weekend celebration for fans. Doors open at 7, Show at 8:10 each night.

• First Friday: New Year’s Reset (Contemporary Art Museum)- Kick off 2026 with a calm, creative reset at this special New Year’s edition of “Go With the Flow” led by artisit Amata Doods. The free drawing event invites participants for communal art making, intention setting, and mindful reflection. As part of First Fridays, galleries stay open late, with crafting from 6–8:30 pm.

Saturday, January 3rd

• 12th Afternoon Ball (Gateway Arch National Park)- This free, family-friendly program celebrates the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, a tradition rooted in St. Louis’s French colonial past. Held on the Mezzanine at the Gateway Arch Visitor Center, the event features live Creole French fiddle music by Dennis Stroughmatt, traditional cooking demonstrations (with samples) from culinary historian Suzanne Corbett, and interactive 1770s-era dance performances by living history interpreters. 12-4 pm.

• Tower Grove Winter Market (Tower Grove Park)- If you have missed the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market, no worries- the winter market starts up this weekend! Taking place two Saturdays each month (January- March), the winter market fills the void you may be feeling until warm weather brings back your weekly farmer’s market staple. 10 am-1 pm.

• Manos PanAmerica (City Winery)- Manos PanAmerica takes the stage for a vibrant musical journey through South and Central America. Founded in St. Louis in 2023, the band blends Latin and North American influences through original songs and covers, featuring genres from cumbia and bossa nova to boleros and salsa. Dine and enjoy wine during the performance. Show at 7:30 pm.

• St. Louis Blues vs Montreal Canadiens (Enterprise Center)- The Blues face off against the Canadiens this weekend. Puck drops at a family friendly time of 3 pm.

• Owl Prowls (World Bird Sanctuary)- At World Bird Sanctuary, participants meet several species of owls and learn their calls before embarking on an easy night hike to try to summon a wild owl. Reservations are required and often sell out. 7 pm.

Sunday, January 4th

• Comedy Night: Aries Spears (Helium Comedy Club)- At Helium Comedy Club, comedian Aries Spears, known for his impressions, delivers his stand‑up act. Spears has been in the comedy scene since age 14 and gained national fame on Fox’s Mad TV and feature films. Shows run Friday Jan 2 - Sunday Jan 4. Showtimes vary.

• Winterfest Sundays: Characters & Movie Screenings (Kiener Plaza)- Sundays are the perfect family day at Winterfest! This is the LAST Sunday to enjoy character visits and a family movie. Characters from The Descendants make an appearance this weekend, and Freakier Friday plays at 2 pm.

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ST. LOUIS NEWS + UPDATES 📰 

• Missouri Minimum Wage Hits $15- Starting Jan 1, Missouri’s minimum wage increased from $13.75 to $15 per hour under HB 567. The new law, signed by Governor Mike Kehoe, eliminates automatic inflation adjustments after 2026 and repeals statewide paid sick‑time requirements. Small employers (under $500 k in annual sales) are exempt.

• St. Louis City SC gears up for 2026- Sporting director Corey Wray introduced new head coach Yoann Damet last month, bringing his proactive style from back‑to‑back MLS champion Columbus Crew to City SC. Damet has already begun assembling his staff and meeting players.

• Gateway Arch Park Foundation eyes Illinois expansion- The foundation is partnering with the National Park Service to explore extending the Arch grounds across the Mississippi River starting in 2026, fulfilling architect Eero Saarinen’s original vision

WEATHER FORECAST 🌡️ 

Friday
40° ☀️ | 9% rain | 🌬 7 mph

Saturday
38° 🌤 | 4% rain | 🌬 6 mph

Sunday
47° ☀️ | 4% rain | 🌬 8 mph

Monday
52° 🌤 | 6% rain | 🌬 8 mph