What’s behind the Taste of St. Louis festival’s move?

CLAYTON, Mo. – After years in downtown St. Louis, organizers of the Taste of St. Louis announced last week that the festival would be relocating to Clayton.

For the better part of three decades, Taste of St. Louis has been a staple in St. Louis City, drawing thousands of foodies to celebrate the region’s culinary scene.

Organizers said the decision to move was not about safety but rather finding a central location that would allow them to continue growing.

“We have been at Ballpark Village for the last four years, and having a festival downtown Saint Louis can get pretty expensive,” Chuck Justus, the co-director of the event, said. “So, what we’ve done is we’ve been able to move the festival to Clayton and help the festival continue to go, because it’s very expensive to operate permits and insurance and all these different things.”

Amanda Carrasco, who owns the Juan Taco food truck, has participated with the festival as a vendor for years. Last year, she won first place for best food vendor.

Carrasco said Taste of St. Louis remains a celebration for the entire region, no matter the location.

“I thought it was a good idea. It’s called Taste of St. Louis, so why not explore different areas and show the taste?”

Organizers initially considered other locations, including Forest Park and the Gateway Arch grounds, but said both provided challenges. Clayton officials verbally agreed to host the event after a presentation.

“We have loved having Taste of St. Louis since it returned in 2019 from its latest suburban adventure in Chesterfield. We wish the organizers all the best. The City of St. Louis will always be happy to have them back again,” Conner Kerrigan, a spokesman for the mayor’s office, said.

“We’ve got a lot of people come from St. Charles County; they come from Franklin County. And this is a much easier place for them to get to, is right here in Clayton than it is, you know, making another 10 or 15 minutes [drive to] downtown St. Louis.”

The festival takes place Aug. 15-17. For more information about the festival, visit TheTasteSTL.com.