× Expand Courtesy of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group

Get to know Old North this weekend with a day of music, crafts, art, performance, and more. Saturday’s North by Old North festival fills Crown Square with neighbors and visitors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“It’s really hard to narrow down one thing not to miss,” says Jessica Payne, AmeriCorps VISTA with Old North St. Louis Restoration Group. The Restoration Group is putting on the festival with City of Night St. Louis.

The all-local music roster alone is worth the trip. Delta Sol Revival, The Trip Daddys, Love Jones, The Domino Effect, Jeremiah Johnson, and Marquise Knox will perform.

"We had done another music benefit concert two years ago, but the artists weren’t all local," says Payne. "Feedback from attendees pointed strongly toward changing that. Why not support our own local musicians?”

The free event includes art installations and performances by hula hoopers, fire dancers, poets, and painters, with local craft vendors and jewelry makers on hand. Don’t miss the harpist, Renaissance characters, and head-wrapping artists. Central Print offers a free Summer Print Studio, with the 13th Street Community Garden as a muse.

The magic of wintertime’s "Holidays in Old North" seemed ripe for a summer appearance. (Yes, there will be a free photo booth again, but you’ll have to wait until winter for another photo opp with Santa.)

Payne says the festival is about bringing the diverse neighborhood together, offering programming that’s family-friendly and that appeals to a wide range of tastes. The day also showcases the neighborhood to potential new residents and the city at large.

“Our current population is 1,900. At its peak, it was 14,000. There’s room to grow,” says Payne. “We’re always looking for new neighbors. We want to create a welcoming neighborhood.”

Chris Naffziger, who blogs about architecture and social history at St. Louis Patina and St. Louis Magazine, will lead history tours at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The tours, which run about an hour, are $10 (and free for kids 12 and under).

Parking lots are located on either side of 14th Street, and there will be plenty of on-street spots available. Crown Square is just a short bus or bike ride from downtown.

See also: Jamaica Ray Brings the Sounds of the Caribbean to Crown Candy in North St. Louis