Things to Do in Eureka

The classically focused Alexandra Ballet entertains audiences with a well-rounded dance diet ranging from contemporary original pieces to traditional masterworks. The company’s agile dancers have pirouetted their way to uproarious applause in past performances that include The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Peter and the Wolf. Since 2003, the company has enriched the community through its educational-outreach programs, which provide youngsters with free learning materials and ballet performances throughout the school year.

Staffers at Kirkwood Knittery happily direct shoppers to a colorful collection of knitted sweaters, hats, and wraps; however, they're not for sale. That’s because staff members would rather teach customers to make the garments themselves during classes aimed at beginning and intermediate knitters. Sessions, which typically meet in four one-hour segments or two two-hour segments; cover skills such as basic stitches, circular knitting methods, and crochet patterns; and culminate in the creation of a scarf, pair of socks, or knitted umbrella. Before classes, students can peruse the shop’s selection of yarns to choose an attractive skein whorled from international wools, organic cottons, or rare fibers.

AC St. Louis triumphantly brings men's outdoor professional soccer back to the nation's soccer capital. STL's team of international and local footballers will weave in, over, and around their opponents—all under the all-knowing guidance of head coach Dale Schilly. Footballing fans, meanwhile, will get to cheer from the stands, refrain from hooliganism, and challenge each other to see who can shout "Gooooooooooooooaaaalll!" the longest.

Fred M. Kemp, Sr. fell in love with the first Mercedes-Benz he ever bought. So he bought 40 more. Over the course of 30 years, his obsession created a collection of some of the rarest and most groundbreaking cars ever made. Upon his passing in 2004, he deeded his cars to the public for exhibition and education, founding the Kemp Auto Museum born to house his extensive collection.

Kemp's legacy includes one of Karl Benz's patent Motorwagens, which captivated the public's imagination when Mrs. Benz drove the device 112 miles to visit her mother in 1888. At the other end of the spectrum sits the 1960 Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, whose 134-horsepower fuel-injected engine could have ferried Mrs. Benz to her mother's house in about an hour. Visitors can take either docent-led or audio tours to see the standing exhibit, or catch one of the touring special exhibits, featuring classic cars such as department-store Crosleys and classic engines such as Fred Flintstone's feet.

Begun in 1985 as a strictly volunteer-based project of the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship, Plowsharing Crafts grew over the years into a thriving nonprofit with two locations and an expansive inventory of eclectic wares from around the globe. The staff is committed to selling fair-trade art and handcrafts in order to provide much needed income and nurture the businesses of artisans, 70% of whom are women, from more than 45 developing countries around the world. The selection of items ranges from housewares to jewelry and beyond, many of which are made with sustainable and recycled materials or from food grown with sustainable methods.

Just a short drive from the metropolitan tangle of St. Louis, Twin Rivers Canoe Rentals releases urbanites into the gentle, spring-fed waters of the Meramec River. Adventurers may choose which vessel will best cut through the water’s rippled pane that flickers with shadows from the canopies of trees lining the shore. In a kayak, a single boatman may ply past largemouth bass and flathead catfish or spy a whitetail deer sneaking a drink on the banks while its doe is at church bunco. Canoes can comfortably seat two people and a cooler, whereas rafts transform five to seven passengers into an inflatable party. The leisurely pace and tranquil environs encourage groups to stop and swim or to tether to shore for a picnic.:m]]