Explore the Events of the
French Colonial Country Region

The region along the Mississippi River south of St. Louis is French Colonial Country. The area was first colonized by the French in 1699 and includes the Missouri Counties of Sainte Genevieve and Jefferson and the Illinois Counties of Saint Clair, Monroe, and Randolph. The region hosts a number of notable events. The small village of Maeystown has a full calendar with events throughout the year like Fastnacht, Fruehlingsfest, the Spring Art Show, and Apple Butter Demonstration Days. Another small town with a big calendar is Kimmswick which hosts popular events like its Strawberry Festival and Apple Butter Festival. Unique community events include the Porta Westfalica Festival in Waterloo, Charter Oak Schoolhouse Corn Fest in Schuline, Popeye's Picnic in Chester. The area is home to some very popular art fairs including Art on the Square in Belleville, Jour De Fete in Ste. Genevieve, and the Midwest Salute to the Arts in Fairview Heights. The Traditional Music Festival in Festus attracts bluegrass fans from far and wide. Living history events can be found throughout the year at Fort De Chartres State Historic Site including the Rendezvous in early June, one of the biggest events of its kind. Rural life can be explored at Rural Heritage Day in Ste. Genevieve in the fall. La Guiannée, a French Colonial celebration is observed in both Ste. Genevieve and Fort de Chartres. Bald Eagles can be seen at Eagle Fest at the Kaskaskia River Recreation Area in February.

There are two ways to look for events. You can go directly to the calendar and look for events in a standard calendar format organized by date. Or you can use the sorted lists below. Because every event has been tagged by city, county, type of event and features you can use the sorted list you see below.

We regularly update our calendars and changes are made when we gather more information or when we learn of an event. If you know of an event that you would like to see posted contact the webmaster. We hope you enjoy the events you choose to attend.

Ongoing Events & Art Exhibits
French Colonial Country plays host to a number of ongoing events. In the warmer months visitors can find the farmers market in Ste. Genevieve. During the winter holiday season Belleville’s Chriskindlmarkt is a place to visit. The Schmidt Art Center is located on the campus of Southwestern Illinois College holds periodic exhibits and the Mascoutah Historical Society holds an annual Photography Contest.

greatriverroad.com is not associated with any events that we list on our calendars. greatriverroad.com is removing events listed if we find credible information that the event has been cancelled due to the recommendations covering the current COVID-19 pandemic. Because an event is still listed does not mean it will be held. If you are planning to attend an event that is still listed you encourage you to contact the event itself to see if it is still planning on happening before you go.

Explore French Colonial Country