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26. Go to a festival.

Spotting Father Time, a.k.a. 90-year-old Paul Pagano, in his red, white, and blue outfits, might be thequintessential St. Louis festival experience. Here’s a handful that Father Time always hits—and you should, too.

• Czech Festival: The American Czech Educational Center’s April 13 festival includes a fashion show, concert, and more. acec-stl.org.

• Fruehlingsfest: Tiny Maeystown, Ill., hosts this German spring festival May 3 through 5.

• French Festival: Ste. Genevieve celebrates its heritage June 8 and 9 with tours, folk dances, and wine tastings. visitstegen.com.

• Festival of the Little Hills: This arts-and-crafts fair, held in historic St. Charles August 16 through 18, takes its name from Les Petites Côtes, the town’s original name. festivalofthelittlehills.com.

• Festival of Nations: Presented bythe International Institute on August 24 and 25, this festival resembles a world tour—all in Tower Grove Park.festivalofnationsstl.org.

• St. Nicholas Greek Festival: Centered at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church on Labor Day weekend, this is the place to enjoy gyros, Greek music, and more. sngoc.org.

• Polish Festival: It’s beer, brats, and polka at the Polish Falcons Nest, where you can do the dollar dance and buy hand-painted pottery from Poland.polishfalcons.org.

• St. Louis Scottish Games: The games, taking place September 27

and 28, include bagpipes, sheepdogs, highland athletics, and more. stlouis-scottishgames.com.

• Jewish Book Festival: This festival always attracts best-selling

authors, which have included Carrie Fisher, Nathan Englander, and Elie Wiesel. stljewishbookfestival.org.

Photo by @skirt327