Good morning! If you hear distant screams this weekend, don’t panic. It’s probably just someone realizing they spent $47 on carnival rides and lemonade at Wentzville Days. Which honestly feels like a rite of passage at this point.

Wentzville Days is officially back, which means downtown is about to become a beautiful mix of live music, funnel cake sugar dust, strollers with questionable steering alignment, teenagers roaming in packs, and at least one dad pretending he’s “just holding everyone’s stuff” while secretly hoping someone suggests leaving before the Tilt-A-Whirl.

And somehow… we all keep coming back every year.

This weekend is packed. We’ve got Wentzville Days concerts, tacos and 5Ks, outdoor concerts at Frankie Martin’s Garden, wrestling in Troy, pottery painting, a playground party, a kids entrepreneur market, and even glowing animals at the zoo if you feel like venturing out.

Let’s get into it. 👇

📚 Books & Brushes
⏰ 5:30–8 PM
📍 Imagination Pottery Studio, Wentzville
Paint pottery, sip coffee, snack, and talk books at this cozy creative night for book lovers.

🎡 Wentzville Days Fair & Music Festival
⏰ 6–10:30 PM
📍 Historic Downtown Wentzville
The annual Wentzville Days festival kicks off with carnival rides, food vendors, live music, and downtown fun for the whole family.

🎸 Drawl at Wentzville Days
⏰ 8:30–10:30 PM
📍 Downtown Wentzville
Country rock band Drawl takes the Wentzville Days stage Friday night.

🎸 Trixie at Frankie Martin’s Garden
⏰ 7–10 PM
📍 Frankie Martin’s Garden, Cottleville
Bring lawn chairs and blankets for this free outdoor rock concert night.

🎉 Playground Party
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Diekroeger Park, Wright City
Family-friendly evening with inflatables, chalk, bubbles, raffle prizes, hot dogs, Kona Ice, and more.

🏃 Taco the Town 5K & 10K
⏰ Starts at 8 AM
📍 Legacy Park, Cottleville
Run for tacos, medals, and post-race fiesta fun at this festive community race.

🧘 Pilates in the Garden
⏰ 10 AM
📍 Frankie Martin’s Garden, Cottleville
Outdoor Pilates class with fresh air, music, and good weekend vibes.

🎡 Wentzville Days Fair & Music Festival
⏰ 12:00–10:30 PM
📍 Historic Downtown Wentzville
The annual Wentzville Days festival kicks off with carnival rides, food vendors, live music, and downtown fun for the whole family.

🍼 GFM Free Diaper Blessing
⏰ 8 AM–12 PM
📍 Growing Faith Ministries, Troy
Free diapers and encouragement for families in need while supplies last.

🎸 Wentzville Days Concert — Platinum Rock Legends
⏰ 8:30–10:30 PM
📍 Wentzville Days Festival Grounds
Classic rock tribute concert to close out Saturday night at Wentzville Days.

🎶 The John Hughes Experience
⏰ 7–10 PM
📍 Frankie Martin’s Garden, Cottleville
Free 80s tribute concert featuring music inspired by iconic John Hughes films.

🤼 NWA World League Wrestling: Collision Course
⏰ Doors at 6 PM | Bell at 7 PM
📍 Harley Race Wrestling Arena, Troy
Live professional wrestling action featuring World League Wrestling stars.

👧 Children’s Entrepreneur Market at Frankie Martin’s Garden
⏰ 12–3 PM
📍 Frankie Martin’s Garden, Cottleville
Young entrepreneurs ages 5–17 sell handmade goods, treats, and creations at this kid-powered market.

🎡 Wentzville Days Fair & Music Festival
⏰ 12:00–10:30 PM
📍 Historic Downtown Wentzville
The annual Wentzville Days festival kicks off with carnival rides, food vendors, live music, and downtown fun for the whole family.

🎶 Clover at Cedar Lake Cellars
⏰ 1–4 PM
📍 Cedar Lake Cellars, Wright City/Foristell area
Live country-rock music and winery vibes for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

🎸 Wentzville Days presents The RetroNerds
⏰ 4 PM
📍 Wentzville Days Festival Grounds
Family-friendly 80s dance music performance to wrap up the weekend.

🏍️ 36th Annual Run for the Wall
⏰ 5:30–10:30 PM
📍 Wentzville VFW Post 5327
Help welcome veterans participating in the national Run for the Wall ride honoring fallen service members.

Cops and Bobbers
📍 Rotary Park, Wentzville
⏰ 5–7 PM
A free evening of fishing with the Wentzville Police Department and Parks & Recreation. Young anglers will receive bait, a goody bag, and a chance to win prizes. Fishing poles and tackle will be available to check out while supplies last.

A Missouri fishing license is required for anyone over age 15 who plans to fish, but no license is required for parents helping children. Registration is required.

💰 Wentzville, MO FREE 5-Day Event
⏰ Tuesday–Friday 10 AM–6 PM | Saturday 10 AM–3 PM
📍 TownePlace Suites, Wentzville
Traveling buyers purchasing gold, silver, coins, collectibles, jewelry, and antiques.

🚐 Red, White & NEW Trade Event
⏰ Through Saturday
📍 Camping World, Wentzville
Shop RV deals, trade-in offers, giveaways, and camping accessories all week long.

🍷 Art Fair & Winefest
⏰ Friday 5–10 PM | Saturday 10 AM–10 PM | Sunday 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Downtown Washington, MO
Historic downtown Washington transforms into a massive arts and wine festival with local artists, Missouri wineries, live music, food vendors, and riverfront charm. Perfect excuse for a scenic small-town day trip.

🏮 Animals Aglow at the Saint Louis Zoo
⏰ Select evenings, 6:30–10 PM
📍 Saint Louis Zoo
The Zoo lights up after dark with towering glowing lanterns, interactive displays, and colorful animal-inspired art installations throughout the park. It’s honestly one of the coolest nighttime family outings in St. Louis right now.

🏴 St. Louis Scottish Games & Cultural Festival
⏰ Saturday starting at 9 AM
📍 Schroeder Park, Manchester
Bagpipes, caber tosses, Highland dancing, Celtic music, Scottish food, and all the plaid your heart can handle. This annual festival is a full day of Scottish culture, athletics, and family-friendly fun.

We asked: “Who has the best pizza around Wentzville?”

🥇 Stefanina’s — 45.45%
🥈 Marco’s — 27.27%
🥉 Alfano’s — 18.18%

Duke’s Slicehouse also grabbed a vote, proving pizza loyalty runs deep around here.

Honestly, I’m now wondering how many of you have actually tried Duke’s Slicehouse. I didn’t even know it was a thing until recently, which feels like the kind of local intel this newsletter was built for.

That’s it for this week’s edition of What’s Up Wentzville!

You may notice there’s no Hidden Gem this week. I had every intention of writing one, but I was busy celebrating my 9-year anniversary with my wife, which felt like a pretty solid excuse. Writing the newsletter had to take a backseat to marriage points. Sorry, not sorry. 😆

As always, if you know about an upcoming event, business opening, fundraiser, or local happening, just reply and let me know. I read every message.

Have a great week,
Skyler