Big Wheels and Free Breakfast Kick Off the Weekend Festival
Festus, MO · September 9, 2026
Tents are popping up across the park grounds early today as the final countdown to festival weekend begins. Keep your water bottle close while running errands — that afternoon heat will pack a punch.
The Lead
Crews are putting the finishing touches on Larry G. Crites Memorial Park and downtown staging areas as the 31st Annual Twin City Days prepares to launch Thursday morning. The three-day joint festival between Festus and Crystal City brings thousands of neighbors together each September for concerts, markets, and regional tournaments.
Festivities officially get rolling at 8:00 AM tomorrow at the Crites Park ballpark pavilion with the traditional community breakfast, immediately followed by the lighthearted Mayor’s Challenge: an obstacle course race featuring adult-sized Big Wheel tricycles. From there, the schedule expands into senior bingo, live music along the bluffs, and Saturday’s bustling Main Street Market. Organizers encourage residents to grab an official program map from local storefronts today before the crowds arrive tomorrow morning.
Local Pulse
Interstate Corridor Upgrades Shift Travel Lanes MoDOT contractors are adjusting traffic patterns near Route Z overnight, so drivers should prepare for temporary delays.
Public Hearing Reviews Regional Grant Funding County officials gather resident feedback tonight at 5:00 PM in Hillsboro on upcoming infrastructure and community block grants.
Today's Outlook
- High 104°F · Low 73°F — Rain (24% chance of precipitation)
- Limit strenuous afternoon outdoor plans and carry an umbrella for potential stray rain showers.
What's On Around Town
St. Louis: Juanita McNeely Exhibition Opening Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Dr), 10:00 AM–5:00 PM First look at pioneering expressive artworks inside the museum's modern wing.
Arnold: Mysterious World Youth Workshop Jefferson County Library Arnold Branch (1701 Missouri State Rd), 4:00–5:00 PM Free after-school class exploring curious historical oddities and bizarre world phenomena.
Band Instrument Rental Night Festus Middle School Band Room (1515 Mid-Meadow Ln), 5:00–7:00 PM Equipment fittings and instrument leases for rising sixth-grade music students.
St. Louis: Wednesday Night Jazz Jam The Dark Room at The Grandel (3610 Grandel Sq), 6:00–9:00 PM Free weekly showcase spotlighting regional musicians and classic standards in Grand Center.
Spotlight & Story
- Caveland Carved into sandstone bluffs along North 11th Street, this subterranean chamber operated as a mushroom farm before Sue Morris poured a 208-foot concrete floor in 1958. It hosted roller skaters and rock legends like Bob Seger until finding life as an underground residence.
Festus Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
Sent with care by MailerDot — your city, every morning.