Enjoy food trucks, art and live music at free Rise Up Festival Aug. 18

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Celebrate the revitalization of St. Louis at the sixth annual Rise Up Festival from 5 to 11 p.m. Aug. 18 on Washington Avenue between 16th and 17th streets.

The free festival features a multitude of food and drink vendors, including Daddy O’s Cheesesteaks, 314 The City Bar, St. Louis Wall of Fame Food Truck, Nonie’s Family Food Court, Scoops & More and Simply Sweet Sensations. Civil Life Brewing Co. beer is available for purchase, as well as wine and soft drinks. A few vendors also offer specialty cocktails.

“Part of our whole mission at Rise is about supporting local businesses, artisans and vendors,” said Larry Perlmutter, communications and development manager at Rise Community Development, a nonprofit working to revitalize local neighborhoods. “So for our food vendors, we tried to find local, in the city, ideally downtown places. We’re real big on supporting the local economy.”

Stroll through artist and other vendor booths like jewelry and pet accessories, catch a glimpse of street entertainment from fire spinning to African dance, and check out interactive arts activities, including a graffiti wall. Enjoy live local music throughout the event, capping off with funky, party band Dirty Muggs beginning at 9:30 p.m.

“Dirty Muggs are the most well-known band in the area that do the kind of music that they do, and they always draw really well,” Perlmutter said. “I’m also the drummer for Top of the World, one of the three bands that is playing, so I’m coordinating, supervising and drumming at one event.”

Sam Balmer is an editorial intern at Sauce Magazine.

Sauce Magazine is a sponsor of Rise Up Festival.