Saturday (Nov. 9)
Diwali Celebration @ St. Louis County Library Thornhill Branch
Join the Thornhill branch of the library (12863 Willowyck Drive; 314-994-3300) for its first celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival known as the festival of lights. There will be crafts and activities, as well as food from Mayuri Indian Restaurant, Haveli Indian Restaurant and Priya Indian Cuisine. You can even get a Henna tattoo! Admission is free. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
20th Anniversary @ Companion Bakery
Companion Bakery is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this weekend and the factory in south city (4555 Gustine Avenue). It churns out some 13,000 pounds of break for local restaurants daily. Celebrate with raffles, kids' activities, samples from Schlafly, Kaldi's, Urban Chestnut, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate, and Civil Life, plus live cooking demonstrations all afternoon. Bring a canned food to benefit the St. Louis Area Foodbank. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gateway Cupcake 5K Run/Walk @ Forest Park
Think you're not into 5Ks? How about when eating cupcakes shaves minutes off your final time? There we go! For the second annual run benefiting the Lift for Life Academy. Run through Forest Park and stop at one of five cupcake stations along the route -- you have to keep the cupcakes down though, or you'll be disqualified. Winners will get gift certificates to Jilly's Cupcakes. Registration is $50; email [email protected]. Race begins at 8:30 a.m.
Abraxas Release Party @ Perennial Artisan Ales
The craft brewer is releasing its batch of Abraxas and also debuting Coffee Abraxas, which was made with Sump Coffee. The coffee version will have a one-bottle-per-person-limit. There's also a ticketed VIP draught portion, featuring an Abraxas snifter and four-ounce pours of several brews, plus the chance to buy the Coffee Abraxas without having to wait in line. The Abraxas release is noon in the tasting room, and the two VIP sessions are 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, but VIP tickets are $40; call 314-631-7300 for availability.
Sunday (Nov. 10)
Heartland Artisan Cheese Festival @ Third Degree Glass Factory & Elaia
You had us at cheese. Specifically, the third annual fundraiser for the American Cheese Society. Sample cheeses from the Missouri winners of the ACS, watch a mozzarella stretching demonstration, shop at a pop-up cheese market at the Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar Boulevard; 314-367-4527). Afterwards, the festival ends with a five-course dinner at Elaia (1634 Tower Grove Avenue; 314-932-1088) with dishes by Ben Poremba and Josh Charles of Elaia & Olio, Jenny Cleveland and Eric Heath of Cleveland-Heath, Fabrizio Schenardi of Cielo, Simone Faure of La Patisserie Chouquette, Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Cafe and Chris Bork of Blood & Sand. Each dish will use cheese from local farmers, including Mackenzie Creamery, Baetje Farms, Green Dirt Farms and Bleu Mont Dairy. Festival tickets are $55, dinner tickets are $165, both benfiting the American Cheese Education Foundation. Tickets available by calling 314-435-9194 or emailing [email protected]. Tasting from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., dinner at 6:15 p.m.
Sunday Night Supper @ Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
Every Sunday night you can enjoy a feast of local produce and meats at Chaumette Winery in Ste. Genevieve. This week, it's butternut squash soup, hearty autumn greens with peppercorn vinaigrette, toasted County Line Farm Pecans and dried cranberry, Meyer Farm Berkshire pork tenderloin with sautéed green beans and Yukon Gold potato and cheddar cheese gratin. $18 per person, $7.45 for kids twelve and under. Call 573-747-1000 for reservations. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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