By Shawna Stewart and
Chris Cunningham
The Scene staff
Forest Park students who have class on Thursday, July 3, might want to arrive early.
Renovations on the Gateway Arch grounds have led officials to move Fair St. Louis to Forest Park over Fourth of July weekend. St. Louis Community College at Forest Park will help by allowing the public to use its parking lots.
Campus is closed July 4 and 5 for the holiday. But it will be open July 3 with regularly scheduled classes.
“We are going to accommodate all of our faculty, staff and students for evening classes (July 3),” said Susan King Edmiston, Forest Park coordinator of public information and marketing. “Parking lots B and E will be reserved for STLCC employees and students (until 8 p.m.).”
Students will be required to display their college parking tags to get reserved parking. Those who don’t have tags with them will have to pay $3.
New students who haven’t yet received parking tags can obtain them with a student ID card and class receipt.
“(Parking lots B and E) will be controlled by Midwest Valet Parking, and their attendants will be instructed to allow students and staff with their properly issued parking tags to park anywhere on the lots,” Fair St. Louis spokeswoman Julie Hauser stated in an email.
“In addition to the parking-lot provisions, there will be 10 (portable toilets) and multiple trash cans provided by Fair Saint Louis, along with campus security provided by (college) police officers.”
Hours for Fair St. Louis are 5 to 10:30 p.m. July 3, noon to 10:30 July 4 and noon to 10:30 p.m. July 5. Activities include live music and fireworks each night. Vendors will sell food and drink.
The Veiled Prophet Parade also has been moved to Forest Park. It will begin at 10 a.m. Friday. The parade route will kick off at the Muny on Theatre drive. It will then make its way down Grand drive to Lagoon drive and conclude at Norman K Probstein Golf Center.
Some Forest Park students are apprehensive about the idea of student sharing parking with the public on July 3.
“I pay tuition here,” said Mitch McAdams, an automotive technician major.
“I pay for parking here. I don’t want to pay for someone else’s parking spot.”
Beyond the parking issue, some St. Louisans are concerned about how fair and parade crowds will affect the condition of Forest Park.
Jasmine Evans of Forest Park Forever said clean-up will be a cooperative effort between her organization and Fair St. Louis, but Forest Park Forever’s top priority will be to get the park back into tip-top shape immediately following the weekend’s festivities.
This year’s main acts at Fair St. Louis include Thompson Square and The Band Perry on July 3, Gavin DeGraw, Matt Nathanson and Bonnie Raitt on July 4, and Capital Cities, The Neighborhood and The Fray on July 5.