Fairs & Festivals

Festivals are the lifeblood of Ste. Genevieve.

Maybe one of the most unique features of Ste. Genevieve is its festival culture. For its entire existence, Ste. Genevieve has been heavily Catholic. It informs so much of its identity. What makes it interesting is the Catholic calendar of feast days and celebrations that are closely related to celebrations like Mardi Gras but are completely unique to this part of the country. Two of the must-see events are La Guiannée (or La Guignolée) and the King’s Ball (Queen’s Ball during leap years). La Guiannée closely mimics rural Mardi Gras festivals in places like Mamou or Iota, LA and even share lyrics to their songs. This event takes place on New Year’s Eve, and features a troupe of costumed and masked carolers who march from business to business demanding libations for their troubles.

At the King’s Ball, residents of Ste. Gen get together for 12th night dressed in colonial attire and dance the customary dances, a la Bridgerton. Toward the end of the night, a king’s cake is served, and whoever finds the baby Jesus in the cake is the new King of Ste. Genevieve for the year. In antiquity, this was normally rigged toward a man of means so that they could be counted on to fund town events throughout the year. In addition, there’s the French Heritage Festival that is finding new life as a sort of Frontier French Renaissance Faire, where dressing in colonial attire is encouraged for all attendees, and the night ends with dancing in the lantern-lit gardens of the historic houses. This Festival is also geared more toward educating the public and sharing the Frontier French culture with those who have never seen it in action.

This is a photo of the Ste. Genevieve Milice leading the promenade during the French Heritage Festival.

Featured Fairs and Festivals

French Heritage Festival

Featured

198 Merchant Street,
Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, 63670

Celebrates 300 years of French culture and traditions! Experience living history, live traditional music and more! The Second Saturday in June “Hence I have heard the guitar resound soon after sunset, with the complaints and amorous tales of the village swains, and heard the same hand, which toiled all day in the wilderness and in the waste, strike the tender notes of love in the evening. The custom seemed to pervade all ranks. Nearly every house had its group, and every group its guitar, fiddler, storyteller, or singer. As the evening advanced and the beat diminished, walking commenced, and towards midnight the music of the village united, the little world crowded to the spot and danced with infinite gaiety and mirth till past one in the morning. The Waltz had most votaries; the Pas de deux next, and the Fandango was the favorite of the few remaining Spaniards of the village.” -Thomas Ashe on dancing in Ste. Genevieve The French Heritage Festival is hosted by the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve and plays a major part in our Frontier French Calendar of Events. It’s a time for us once again to dress as our French ancestors, and carry on Read more...

Featured Our Seasons

Ste. Geneviève County Fair

Featured

South White Sands Road,
Sainte Genevieve, Missouri,

Ste. Genevieve County Fair – Where Summer Gets Loud, Fast, and Delicious Every year on the second full weekend in July, the Ste. Genevieve County Fairgrounds transform into the epicenter of summer excitement, where engines roar, metal crunches, crowds cheer, and the irresistible aroma of fair food fills the air. This isn’t some sanitized, corporate-sponsored festival—this is a real county fair with dirt, diesel fumes, demolition, and the kind of unpretentious fun that reminds you why summer in rural America is something special. High-Octane Thrills: The Main Events Truck Pull: Power Meets Pavement Prepare for an adrenaline-pumping spectacle as gigantic trucks—modified monsters with engines—line up to test their raw power against an increasingly heavy sled. The truck pull is primal competition at its finest: driver skill, engine modifications, tire grip, and sheer mechanical force all combine as these behemoths drag massive weight down the track, their engines screaming in protest. For those unfamiliar with truck pulls, prepare to be amazed by the modifications these competitors make to their vehicles—massive tires, engine swaps, custom exhausts, and engineering tweaks that transform ordinary trucks into fire-breathing dragons of torque and horsepower. These aren’t showroom trucks; they’re purpose-built competitors representing hundreds of hours of Read more...

Our Seasons

cannon photo Civil War Camp and Bank Raid Re enactmentCrop1 jpeg 768x688

Civil War Interpretive Event

198 Merchant Street,
Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, 63670

Saturday August 27, 2022 When: 4th Saturday in August Call us at 800-373-7007 or 573-883-7097 A family-friendly, living history event! Observe Civil War camp life and demonstrations of marching, and musket fire. Learn about Ste. Geneviève citizens who fought in the war, some on each side. It is actually being held on Saturday, August 27th. The camp will be set up in the yard of the Felix Valle House State Historic Site. From 11:00am to 11:45am on that day, we will do a re-enactment of the Federal troops taking money from our bank during the early days of the Civil War. The re-enactment will be on the corner of Merchant and Main in front of the Show Me Shop. Read more...

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