All Things to Do in Sainte Genevieve

Music Art Love – Where ChrisAlex Created a Gallery/Boutique/Venue/Living Room That Refuses to Fit Any Single Category At 137 North Main Street, ChrisAlex (Christine Alexander) has created something that defies conventional retail categorization—part art gallery featuring her signature GuitArt (mixed media collages on salvaged guitars), part boutique selling clothing and home décor, part music venue hosting open mics and concerts, part community living room where you can play house instruments, challenge someone to chess, bring in wine from neighboring establishments, read inspirational books, or just sit and absorb the eclectic creative energy. There’s a kids’ nook so families can browse while children stay entertained. Monthly events include open mic nights (welcoming musicians, poets, stand-up comedians, and all creative expression), music showcases, trivia nights, movie nights with personal introductions from ChrisAlex, art exhibits, presentations, and classes in art, acting, exercise, and improv. Founded in 2020, Music Art Love represents ChrisAlex’s vision of what a creative space can become when you reject the rigid boundaries between gallery, retail shop, performance venue, and community gathering place—creating instead a fluid, welcoming environment where visitors become participants, where browsing transforms into playing instruments or games, and where the line between performer and audience dissolves during Read more…

Oberle Meats – Six Generations, 150+ Years, and the Same Secret Recipe Since the 1870s At 21529 Highway 32 in Ste. Genevieve, Oberle Meats represents something increasingly rare in American commerce: a six-generation family business using the exact same German bologna recipe since founder Joseph Oberle opened his Main Street meat market in the 1870s. Today, Bill Oberle and his sixth-generation sons Stephen and Adam operate what locals simply call “home of the Oberle Dog”—producing world-famous Oberle Sausage, smoked pork tenderloin, garlic cheese, snack sticks, jerky, smoked ribs, Krakow, and homemade wieners using “many of the techniques handed down by their ancestors” while embracing modern efficiency. Open Monday-Friday 7 AM-4 PM (Friday until 5:30 PM), this USDA-inspected specialty meat market serves walk-in customers, processes thousands of pounds of deer during hunting season, ships nationwide via online orders, and delivers to Dierbergs, Schnucks, and stores throughout Southeast Missouri. The result: “fresh, lean, bright red, awesome tasting meat” and a sausage so beloved that expatriate Missourians visiting from Idaho “have to visit here,” Festus residents stock up “every two weeks,” and southern cooks rejoiced when Oberle’s garlic cheese log replaced Kraft’s discontinued version in decades-old recipes. Phone (573) 883-5656 or order online Read more…

Only Child Originals – 25-Time World Champion Footbag Player Creates One-of-a-Kind Jewelry in a Former Sausage Factory At 176 North Main Street in the 1874 Oberle building—where famous Ste. Genevieve Oberle sausage was once made—artist Sam Conlon creates handmade jewelry, garden art, and recycled metal sculptures in a shop proving that a professional “Hacky Sack” champion, former San Francisco street performer, and Patagonia retail veteran can find her calling making one-of-a-kind earrings from beads and luminaries from reclaimed barn tin. Open Thursday through Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Only Child Originals is a whole store of handmade (right here in this building!) goodies for your body, home, and garden—where beads of every color adorn the displays, custom jewelry matches hard-to-pair outfits, creative metal cutouts transform scrap roofing into whimsical garden décor, and a pleasant garden area with fish pond behind the shop invites browsing at the pace of small-town Ste. Genevieve rather than big-city San Francisco. Sam Conlon: Third-Generation Artist Raising Fourth-Generation Artist Only Child Originals exists because third-generation artist Sam Conlon passed through Ste. Genevieve nearly 25 years ago (around 2000), peered into a vacant downtown building, and saw beyond the dust and deterioration to envision transformation. The Read more…

Get ready for Pecanapalooza, Saturday November 2nd, 2024, the ultimate fall festival celebrating everything pecan! Hosted now by Downtown Ste. Genevieve Non-Profit, this event brings together the charm of historic downtown along with our rich bounty of pecan trees. Enjoy live music drifting through the autumn air as you explore a marketplace filled with handmade treasures and pecan-inspired treats. Bring your family and friends for a day of fun and community spirit! For more details and updates, follow the event on Facebook. Read more…

Pere Marquette Park – Ste. Genevieve’s Hidden Gem Named for Father Jacques Marquette, the famous 17th-century French Jesuit missionary and explorer who journeyed down the Mississippi River with Louis Joliet in 1673, Pere Marquette Park offers locals and visitors a peaceful retreat where recreation, natural beauty, and open space come together. This scenic city park embodies the kind of unpretentious, family-friendly outdoor space that makes small-town life so appealing—and remarkably, it remains one of Ste. Genevieve’s best-kept secrets, seeing relatively light usage despite its excellent facilities. A Park That Invites You to Linger Pere Marquette Park provides exactly what a good city park should: ample space for play, rest, and recreation without the crowds and over-programming that can make urban parks feel more stressful than relaxing. The light usage means you’re likely to find the park peaceful and uncrowded, whether you’re visiting on a weekday afternoon or a weekend morning. This isn’t a park where you’ll struggle to find parking, wait for playground equipment, or feel like you’re competing for space. Instead, you’ll discover room to spread out, breathe deeply, and enjoy outdoor time at your own pace. For families with young children, this spaciousness is particularly valuable—kids can run, Read more…