Bicycling to work in downtown St. Louis is getting a little easier. The city's first commuter bicycle station is open at 1011 Locust Street, just across from Left Bank Books. The station can store up to 100 bikes. There are also dozens of lockers for additional storage, plus a locker room and shower area.
Everyone must purchase a membership to use the bike station. The cost is $20 a month or $150 a year. There is also a $20 application fee. Trailnet has more information on its website about the commuter station and other benefits of becoming a member.
Some of the brightest students from all over the world will be in St. Louis this weekend for the 2011 FIRST Championship robotics competition. Teams of students spent weeks designing and building their robots for this international, head-to-head competition. The event is free and open to the public. It runs April 28-30, 2011, at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis. For more a detailed schedule of the competition, check out the FIRST website.
The Whitaker Music Festival brings big crowds to the Missouri Botanical Garden each summer. This year, the concert series offers ten weeks of free music on Wednesday evenings beginning June 1, at the Garden's Cohen Amphitheater.
Admission to the Garden is free after 5 p.m., and the concerts start at 7:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to bring their own picnic baskets or coolers. Sandwiches, hot dogs, chips and drinks are also available for purchase. The Children's Garden is also open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings with free admission after 5 p.m.
2011 Whitaker Music Festival
June 1 - Gumbohead
June 8 - Teddy Presberg
June 15 - Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats
June 22 - The Jenny Kavanaugh Band
June 29 - Nigel Mooney
July 6 - Marquise Knox
July 13 - Western Satellites
July 20 - Billy Peek
July 27 - The Erin Bode Group
August 3 - Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three
The St. Louis Art Museum is one of the top free attractions in the area. The museum is a great place to go any day, but Sundays are the best time to visit if you're bringing the kids along. Each Sunday, the museum hosts free family-friendly events in Sculpture Hall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The activities include art projects and a 30 minute family tour through the galleries at 2:30 p.m.
The St. Louis Art Museum is located at One Fine Arts Drive in Forest Park. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Friday until 9 p.m.
