header

Contact:
Public Relations Dept., Missouri Botanical Garden, (314) 577-0254 or (314) 577-5141;
karen.hagenow@mobot.org or or lisa.brandon@mobot.org (media only)

For Immediate Release

Five good reasons to visit Shaw Nature Reserve’s Harvest Festival

  • WHAT: Sixth Annual Harvest Festival
  • WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • WHERE: Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Mo. (just off I-44 at exit #253)
  • COST: $5 adults, $4 seniors 65 and older; $3 for Garden members
  • SPONSORS: Presented by Sauce Magazine and Schlafly Beer. Sponsors are the Shaw Nature
    Reserve, Bank of Washington, Washington Missourian, Mount Pleasant Winery,
    KDHX 88.1 FM, and KWMU 90.7 FM.
    INFO: (636) 451-3512; www.harvestfeststl.com

(ST. LOUIS): Here are five great reasons to drive out to the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit for the Harvest Festival on Sunday, Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

  1. Fall colors and fresh air. Less than a half-hour away from the city, the scenic views of the Ozark landscape in the Meramec River valley is spectacular in mid-October, when fall foliage is at its peak.
  2. Delicious food and drink. Some of St. Louis’s top restaurants will prepare dishes to sample. Among the participating restaurants are An American Place, Cafe Provencal, Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Gourmet Café, Harvest, Portabella, Rooster, Sage, Sqwire’s Restaurant & Market, and Whole Foods . Menu items range from $2 to $5 each. Schlafly Beer and Mount Pleasant Winery will serve locally made beer and wine.
  3. Toe-tapping music. On the main stage, Augusta Bottoms will play American folk music from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., followed by retro-folk, bluegrass and rock with The Flying Mules from 1 to 2:45 p.m., and roots music by Salt of the Earth from 3 to 5 p.m. The Grass Pack will perform bluegrass on the acoustic stage from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  4. Outdoor family fun. Bring the kids for a hayride, pony ride or the petting zoo. Explore the 2,400-acre nature reserve together on your own.
  5. Fresh air shopping. Shop the farmer’s market for fresh locally grown produce and locally handmade crafts. A wide assortment of market items will include pumpkins, gourds, broom corn, honey, specialty foods, herbal soap, beeswax candles and jewelry. Vendors are Mount Pleasant Winery, Seven Thunder Bison, Centennial Farms, Sandhill Farm, Little Bear Creek Enterprises, Prairie Grass Farms, Little Pleasures Foods, Ozark Forest Mushrooms, My Beaded Sister & Co., Herbaria, Stinger’s Honey & Beeswax, Our Garden, Hostetter & Co. Woodworks, Homemade Gourmet, It’s All About You!, Down To Earth Gift Baskets, Indian Trail Jewelry.

Harvest Festival admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors age 65 and older, and $3 for Garden members. Children age 12 and under are free. Proceeds from the event benefit the Shaw Nature Reserve. Pets and outside beverages are not allowed. You may bring a cooler to store your fresh produce purchases. Carpooling is recommended since parking space is limited.
The sixth annual Harvest Festival is presented by Sauce Magazine and Schlafly Beer. Sponsors are the Shaw Nature Reserve, Bank of Washington, Washington Missourian, Mount Pleasant Winery, KDHX 88.1 FM, and KWMU 90.7 FM.


To get to Shaw Nature Reserve from St. Louis, take I-44 south, two exits past Six Flags at #253.
Look for more details and scenes from last year’s event at www.harvestfeststl.com.

# # #

NOTE: Digital images and video footage are available upon request. All news releases are available for download
as .pdf files at www.mobot.org/press.

Sunday, October 14, 2007 at the
Shaw Nature Reserve from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Directions
Shaw Nature Reserve is on I-44 in Gray Summit, MO, approximately 32 miles southwest of the Missouri Botanical Garden (in St. Louis) and 22 miles west of the I-44/I-270 interchange. The Gray Summit I-44 exit is # 253, just two exits west of Six Flags (Allenton/Eureka).

Westbound I-44 from exit ramp, turn left, crossing over I-44. Turn right at the intersection (at the Phillips 66) and go 50 yards to the large iron gates on the left side of the road.

Eastbound I-44, from exit ramp #253, turn right at top of ramp and then another right at at intersection (at the Phillips 66) and go 50 yards to the large iron gates on the left side of the road.