Good Morning!

This week is basically one long argument for keeping a lawn chair in the trunk.

There are fireworks in Wentzville, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Troy, St. Charles, and St. Louis. Fredbird is making a quick Wentzville stop.

There is a car show downtown, a glow party at Frankie Martin’s, a riverfront festival with a drone show, and at least one event where the entire plan is “bring the family and look up.”

Which, honestly, is a pretty strong plan.

There is also a road shift at the I-70/I-64/Route 61 interchange, a Wentzville school bus recruiting event next week, and a Foristell park with more local history tucked inside it than you might expect.

Here’s what’s happening this week. 👇

You know that feeling when your insurance renewal shows up and suddenly the kitchen table becomes a small paperwork crime scene?

Same.

There is the car policy.

The house policy.

Maybe renters, life, business, a teenager who is getting very close to driving, or a boat that somehow became “a family decision.”

And then everyone is supposed to understand what is covered, what is not covered, what the deductible means, and whether the price still makes sense.

This is where having an actual local person is useful.

Mike Christie is based in Washington, MO, and Mike’s team helps families and businesses look through coverage for auto, home, renters, life, business, pet, and more.

The goal is simple: make sure the things you care about are protected, and make the quote process feel a lot less like decoding a utility bill from another planet.

Mike’s office has a 5-star Google rating with 200 reviews, and his team works with people across the area who want someone they can call, text, or email instead of shouting “representative” into a phone menu until their soul leaves their body.

If it has been a while since you checked your coverage, or if you just want to see whether your current plan still makes sense, Mike is offering What’s Up Wentzville readers a free quote.

No big production.

No guessing.

Just a chance to have someone local take a look.

👉 Call or text 636-239-9500

👉 Email [email protected]

👉 Or visit mikechristiesf.com

Ask for a free quote and tell them What’s Up Wentzville sent you.

Feel the Magic and Meet Fredbird!
📍 Central Bank of St. Louis, 2 Old Williamsburg Parkway, Wentzville
⏰ 11–11:30 AM

Central Bank’s Cardinals summer promotion wraps up with a quick Fredbird visit, photo opportunity, Cardinals giveaways while supplies last, and a free hot dog lunch. Wear the Cardinals gear if you have it, because this is one of the few errands where showing up in full fan mode feels completely reasonable.

Summerfest 2026: Free Outdoor Concerts at The Meadows
📍 Clocktower Plaza at The Meadows, Lake Saint Louis
⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM

The Meadows’ Thursday night concert series continues with Mike Marciano playing under the stars. Admission is free, lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged, and leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome, which means the dog may have a better Thursday plan than most of us.

Freedom Fest at Cottle Village
📍 Cottle Village, Cottleville
⏰ Thursday, July 2–Saturday, July 4

Cottle Village is stretching the holiday across three days with live music, food, dirty sodas, coffee, ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, bourbon drinks, and fireworks. Bring lawn chairs if you are planning to settle in for the evening, especially if your Fourth of July strategy is “feed everyone first, then point them toward the sky.”

Riverfest 2026
📍 Frontier Park, St. Charles
⏰ Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4, noon–10 PM

St. Charles’ riverfront Fourth of July festival returns with two days of live music, food and drinks, kids’ activities, a carnival, a drone show on Friday, the Riverfest parade Saturday at 10 AM, and fireworks Saturday night. It is a bigger drive, but 1,600+ people were interested on Facebook, which is usually a sign that the riverfront is about to be very awake.

Stars & Stripes Weekend
📍 Cedar Lake Cellars, Wright City
⏰ Friday, July 3–Sunday, July 5

Cedar Lake Cellars is hosting an all-weekend 21+ party with live music, food from The Smokehouse, wine slushies, lake views, and free admission. One important note before anyone starts promising the kids fireworks: this year’s event does not include a fireworks display.

O’Fallon Chamber’s 42nd Annual Firecracker Run
📍 CarShield Field, O’Fallon
⏰ 7–10 AM

The Firecracker Run returns with 10K, 5K, and 1-mile fun run options, plus the runner-only area afterward with local food. This is for the people who like to begin a holiday by earning every hot dog they plan to meet later.

Wentzville Fourth of July Parade
📍 Downtown Wentzville
⏰ 10 AM

Wentzville’s Fourth of July celebration starts with the parade through downtown. The city’s full schedule also includes a free swim at Progress Park Pool from noon–5 PM for eligible residents and season-pass holders, then fireworks later that night at Rotary Park.

Liberty Rocks: A Star Spangled Celebration of Freedom
📍 City Hall Park, Dardenne Prairie
⏰ Music 11 AM–9 PM, fireworks at 9 PM

Dardenne Prairie is going big for July 4 with a parade at 10:30 AM, music all day, bounce houses, sno cones, games, face painters, caricature artists, jugglers, photo booth, food trucks, and fireworks at 9 PM if the weather cooperates. The music lineup includes DJ Danny T, Pirates in Paradise, Jessie Vaughn, Real Rock Revival, and Almost Skynard.

Fourth of July Glow Party at FMG
📍 Frankie Martin’s Garden, Cottleville
⏰ 4 PM–close

Frankie Martin’s is turning July 4 into a glow party with live music, food trucks, festive cocktails, frozen drinks, beer, dirty sodas, glow sticks, and patriotic fun throughout the garden. Wear the red, white, blue, and possibly something that can be seen from space.

Troy Rotary 4th of July Fireworks Celebration
📍 Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Troy
⏰ Gates open at 6 PM, fireworks at dark

Troy Rotary’s fireworks celebration returns to the Lincoln County Fairgrounds with food for sale and a fireworks show coordinated with music on KYRO 1280 AM/105.3 FM. This one is a little farther out, but it has the classic small-town fireworks feel and more than 200 people interested.

Wentzville Fourth of July Fireworks
📍 Rotary Park, Wentzville
⏰ 9:30 PM

Wentzville’s fireworks have a new viewing location this year at Rotary Park. Bring chairs and plan for a fireworks-focused night, because the city notes Rotary Park is simply the viewing location and will not have extra activities, food vendors, rides, or music. Sometimes the assignment is just “sit down and watch the sky do its thing.”

Gracie Barra O’Fallon Kids Summer Camp
📍 Gracie Barra O’Fallon, Lake Saint Louis
⏰ Monday, July 6–Friday, July 10, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM

Gracie Barra is running a five-day kids summer camp with movement, games, activities, water balloons, and confidence-building mixed in. This is one of those events that sounds like it was designed by someone who understands July energy levels in children.

Pink Houses Band at the CWS Rotary Amphitheatre
📍 Legacy Park, Cottleville
⏰ 6–8:30 PM

Pink Houses Band is playing a free Tuesday evening concert at Cottleville’s amphitheater in Legacy Park. Kona Ice and Moo Sliders are expected, and the city is encouraging people to bring blankets or chairs, walk, bike, or golf cart in if they are local, and avoid parking on the grass.

Bike Night
📍 Brick House Builds, Wentzville
⏰ 5–8 PM

Brick House Builds hosts its monthly bike night on the second Wednesday from April through October. It runs from 5 PM until dusk, basic drinks are available, and everyone is welcome as long as the neighboring businesses are treated with respect.

Celebrate Saint Louis
📍 Ballpark Village, St. Louis
⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10 AM–3:30 PM

Ballpark Village is hosting an American 250th Anniversary car show with classic cars, trophies, plaques, cash prizes, and a $2,500 Best of Show prize. It is tied into the larger Celebrate Saint Louis festivities downtown, including the parade, live music, drone show, and fireworks, so this is the “make a whole day of it” option if you want the city version of July 4.

Wentzville’s Fourth schedule has a few practical notes. City Hall is closed Friday, July 3, the parade is Saturday at 10 AM, Progress Park Pool has a free swim from noon–5 PM for eligible residents and season-pass holders, and fireworks are at Rotary Park at 9:30 PM. Rotary Park will not have extra programming for fireworks, so bring the chair, bring patience, and maybe bring the snack you would otherwise expect someone else to sell you.

Some parks are mostly parks.

You know the type.

Playground.

Shelter.

Trail.

Maybe a pond if everyone is feeling ambitious.

And then there is Towne Park in Foristell, which looks at that list and quietly adds, “Also, would you like an 1800s historical homestead?”

Which is a pretty bold move for a park.

Towne Park sits at 100 Towne Park Drive and is one of those places that feels easy to miss if you are not specifically looking for it.

It has the practical stuff you would expect:

Paved and natural-surface trails.

A large fishing pond.

A shelter.

Playgrounds.

Plenty of room to let kids burn off the kind of energy that somehow multiplies in July.

But the part that makes it different is the reconstructed 1800s homestead.

That is not usually hiding behind “let’s go to the park.”

You can walk the grounds, see the historical pieces, and get a small reminder that this part of St. Charles County had a whole life before subdivisions, gas stations, and everyone having a very strong opinion about which highway route is faster.

It is history without making a whole museum trip out of it.

No tickets.

No big production.

No one asking you to read twelve panels before you are allowed to enjoy the pond.

Just a park where you can let the afternoon wander a little.

Start at the playground.

Walk the trails.

Check out the homestead.

Let somebody fish.

Pretend you meant to stay longer than you planned.

That is the nice thing about places like this.

They do not need to be flashy.

They just need to be close enough, quiet enough, and interesting enough that you leave thinking, “How have we not been here before?”

Towne Park is that kind of place.

A little history.

A little nature.

A pond.

A playground.

And just enough “wait, what is this old building?” to make the trip feel like more than a walk.

Keep it in your back pocket for the next time everyone needs to get out of the house, but nobody wants to make the outing complicated.

That’s what I’ve got for you this week.

If you know of a local event, fundraiser, hidden gem, business update, or something people around Wentzville should know about, send it my way and I’ll do my best to include it in an upcoming issue.

As always, thanks for reading, sharing, and helping make Wentzville a great place to live.

See you next Thursday,
Skyler