urbanSTL

SCAT is such a sh*tty name for urban transit. But I suppose it doesn't beat the Salt Lake Urban Transit.

Hate to say it but I predict failure. Out of all the choices, chesterfield would have been my last. I don't see Chesterfiled residents embracing this and I don't see this as a destination many will want to head to. It's much farther out but Kimmswick would have been a better choice. This is a trip that many take as a day get-a-way and I could see where Strassenfest could have boosted the desire to head that way on that particular weekend.



I think even Ferguson would have worked better as I think the city would embrace an event such as this. Guess time will tell but no real loss for downtown.



We've got a couple of small downtown events this year to make up for the loss. Just no nothing events like The All-Star Game and the Women's Final Four.

Strassenfest in Chesterfield?



FAIL.



Chesterfield? Seriously?

2 things that haven't been mentioned about this move



1. St. Charles Oktoberfest will be held around the same time--last year it was the last weekend in Sept. I could have gone since Soulard was not until the next, but I didn't make it. But still if you live out that way I think being on Main St. or beside the MO River is a much better setting than a parking lot in a strip mall



2. They moved Strassenfest to Westport for a year or two in the early 90's and obviously that didn't turn out so great since it went back downtown. What makes them think this move will work out better?

southsidepride wrote:2. They moved Strassenfest to Westport for a year or two in the early 90's and obviously that didn't turn out so great since it went back downtown. What makes them think this move will work out better?

They're just being reactive. Chesterfield has little to no German history that I know of. http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/stlog/ ... d_ouch.php. Perhaps the 64 shutdown was a factor? If so, it can come back next year. From the sounds of things, Strassenfest jumped the shark well before they moved it to Chesterfield anyway. What's so german about hair bands?



Is there a better place than that concrete swath downtown? It reminds me of Party in the Plaza minus the asphalt. It's why I enjoy Party in the Park. There's green stuff and ambience.

While we can all agree that the selection of Chesterfield as the new home for the Strassenfest is bloody insane, let's not forget that there are still plenty of suburban residents that get it. Here's a rare voice of reason in the comments section following the STLtoday.com article:

Pete Puma wrote:Very disappointing and I live in Chesterfield. Events like this NEED to remain in the city. We need to support events like this and URGE them to stay in the city. You want to know a glaring difference between towns like us and say Chicago. Its because the residents of that metro region get off their butts and make the drive into the city. They SUPPORT their city and city events in good times and bad. You kinda sold out Strassenfest. Very disappointing.

I know of plenty of people that drive from the suburbs into the city for many things besides Cardinals games, but the constant drumbeat of mindless caterwauling on STLtoday.com makes me wonder just how deeply rooted that the outdated views and attitudes about downtown and the City of St. Louis in general are.



As far as Strassenfest is concerned, if it can't be in downtown, it would've made more sense to move it back to Columbia, Illinois or to one of the other small towns in the Metro East like Waterloo, Millstadt, or Highland that retain strong links to their German heritage. Of course, if Strassenfest leaders are blind to the fact that straying from their original mission and purpose had much more to do with the event's troubles than its venue, there's no hope for the event anyway. And if that's the case, well, I guess Chesterfield is an appropriate location after all.

ThreeOneFour wrote:As far as Strassenfest is concerned, if it can't be in downtown, it would've made more sense to move it back to Columbia, Illinois or to one of the other small towns in the Metro East like Waterloo, Millstadt, or Highland that retain strong links to their German heritage.

Columbia and Waterloo both have their own German summer festivals that fill that gap, and I want to say Millstadt does as well but I can't dig up any info at the moment.



The thing I miss about Strassenfest is the impressive display the VW car club always put together. But it's not worth the trip out to Chesterfield.

JuiceInDogtown wrote:We at UrbanSTL should take that guy out for a drink.

Absolutely. Suburbanites and rural residents that get it fit in quite well here.

ben1040 wrote:Columbia and Waterloo both have their own German summer festivals that fill that gap, and I want to say Millstadt does as well but I can't dig up any info at the moment.

I need to check into those when they come up later this year. At the risk of losing whatever urban cred I have, I really dig the small towns of the Metro East. The people are friendly, the towns have character, and they're not overrun with sprawl (YET). We went to the Millstadt Homecoming and the Kirchenfest at Saint Paul's in Highland last summer and really enjoyed both events, so I'll have to see what's up in Columbia and Waterloo this summer.

The thing I miss about Strassenfest is the impressive display the VW car club always put together. But it's not worth the trip out to Chesterfield.

I always enjoyed the Volkswagens on display at Strassenfest, but I cannot see myself driving out there just for that since I really couldn't care less about the festival in its current form. I do drive out that way occasionally to check out cars I'll never be able to afford at Lamborghini St. Louis and the Kemp Auto Museum, but I don't think I can bring myself to attend what may be the sorriest excuse for a Strassenfest ever.

Pete Puma definitely deserves a complimentary Schlafly brew of his choice for that comment.



I'm now referring to the Strassenfest as Der Suckenfest.



To quote Samir from Office Space, "This is horrible, this idea."

ThreeOneFour wrote:I need to check into those when they come up later this year. At the risk of losing whatever urban cred I have, I really dig the small towns of the Metro East. The people are friendly, the towns have character, and they're not overrun with sprawl (YET). We went to the Millstadt Homecoming and the Kirchenfest at Saint Paul's in Highland last summer and really enjoyed both events, so I'll have to see what's up in Columbia and Waterloo this summer.

Columbia has Columbia Days (their calendar says August 15-16 2009), and Waterloo has the Porta Westfalica Fest in June. The last time I went to Columbia Days it didn't seem that much different than Strassenfest, minus the "getting roasted by the sun on Market Street" part, so maybe I'll hit up the one in Waterloo this summer.

I have fond memories of getting a small sip out of my dad's beer bucket way back in the original Columbia days. It really was much more enjoyable back then.

ben1040 wrote:Columbia has Columbia Days (their calendar says August 15-16 2009), and Waterloo has the Porta Westfalica Fest in June. The last time I went to Columbia Days it didn't seem that much different than Strassenfest, minus the "getting roasted by the sun on Market Street" part, so maybe I'll hit up the one in Waterloo this summer.

Thanks for the info. I'll probably check both of those out since going to "Der Suckenfest" really isn't an option.