MARQUIS MAY 2024

MARQUIS • Serving St. Louis’ Near Southside Neighborhoods 8 MAY 2024 Another concert season is about to begin. Not everything is finalized yet, but the season starts with Jeremiah Johnson Band on June 1. June 15 features Hurricane Ruth, Soulard Blues Band plays on July 13 and Ivas John Band performs on Aug. 24. The Ralph Butler Band is the grand finale for 2024 on Sept.7. Concerts start at 6 p.m. at the Betsy Cook Pavilion in the southeast corner of Lafayette Park. We are introducing a new event this year. The Barr Branch Public Library is partnering with the Arts Council to offer storytelling before each of our concerts this summer. Please join us at 5 p.m. prior to each concert on the steps at the Kern Pavilion (Boat House). The stories are geared for younger children through third grade and will last about a half hour. The neighborhood participation in getting the hearts on the fence for Valen- tine’s Day this year was awesome. In addition to contributions from residents, Lafayette Preparatory Academy, KIPP Wisdom Academy, Peabody Elementary School and Lafayette Park UMC preschool displayed the creativity of their students. It’s quite a production from ordering the cardboard to cutting out the hearts and taping them together, then distributing them to participating artists, getting them back again, getting them up and then taking them down afterwards. Help is always appreciated, so thank you to all who volunteered. Greg Plattner has been making sure the concerts go on for more than 25 years — sometimes even paying the band out of personal funds until someone made another contribution. But Greg announced last year that he is moving on and will have to be replaced. We really need several people to cover all of the things he just quietly took care of. We have been asking for additional volunteers, but so far, no one has been able to commit their time. Greg has volunteered to help again this year part-time to make sure the concerts go on, but if we are going to have concerts next year, we need more volunteers. We meet monthly year round and need help starting now. We can be reached at acls@lafay- ettesquare.org or leave a message at 314-772-4644. Arts Council announces summer concert lineup June 1 Jeremiah Johnson Band June 15 Hurricane Ruth July 13 Soulard Blues Band Aug. 24 Ivas John Band Sept. 7 Ralph Butler Band B y S ue L inhardt , P resident , A rts C ouncil of L afayette S quare Arts Council Concert Schedule Are you looking to declutter your home and find a new home for those items that no longer serve you? Look no further than the First Lafayette Square Community Yard Sale. Mark your calendars for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, to be a part of this exciting community event, which we hope will be annual. Whether you have a sprawling yard or just a cozy spot, you can set up right in front of your home. Don’t have yard space? No worries! We have limited spaces available at the pocket park located at Mississippi and Park for you to set up shop. Getting involved is easy. Simply scan the QR code. If you have any questions or need more details, reach out via email sapbhakta@gmail.com. Don’t miss out on this community gath- ering— it’s more than just a yard sale; it’s an opportunity to engage with the commu- nity, meet your neighbors and ensure that your pre-loved items find their way into appreciative new hands. First community yard sale set for May 18 LAFAYETTESQUARE.ORG