Visitor's Guide: Best of Missouri Market® 2024

Best of Missouri Market® is a yearly fall tradition at the Missouri Botanical, showcasing talented artisans and local businesses while visitors enjoy the beauty of the Garden in autumn.

A crowd of people move between white tents set up on a parking lot. In the background are some trees with green and yellowing leaves. — Several businesses cater to shoppers during Best of Missouri Market®. Nathan Kwarta/Missouri Botanical Garden.

Here, guests can embrace the cozy fall atmosphere while doing some early holiday shopping, explore fall flavors from local food and drink vendors, learn something new at the Makers Stage or enjoy the Kids Corner with their little ones.

In 2024, Best of Missouri Market® will start earlier than previous years, open 9 a.m.–7 p.m. on October 4. On Saturday and Sunday, October 5–6, the market is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Members will have their own designated shopping hour 8–9 a.m. on Saturday.

Thank you to our sponsors: (GOLD) Missouri Life Magazine, (SILVER) Nora Stern, Waterway Carwash, (BRONZE), Buy Missouri, Hermannhof, Kaldi’s Coffee, and Traube

What to Do at Best of Missouri Market®

Best of Missouri Market® is an opportunity to explore and enjoy the work of talented artisans, support local business owners and just enjoy the fall weather at this large, outdoor market.

Whether you come for the handcrafted goods, the specialty foods and drinks, or a day of embracing the changing season – there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Shop Handcrafted, artisan Goods from 150 vendors

A vendor setup from Tastachios: Two people in baseball caps and T-shirts smile behind the table. On the table are bags of pistachios and small, white sample cups — Tastachio’s Brands of Wildwood, Missouri, sell wood fire roasted pistachios at the Best of Missouri Market®. Photo by Erik S. Anderson/Missouri Botanical Garden.

This year Best of Missouri Market® will have a record-setting 150 vendors selling food, crafts, native plants, herbs, beer, wine, craft spirits, custom jewelry, and more.

Many of these vendors are from St. Louis and the surrounding area, representing the diverse businesses and artists in our community.

You’ll also have the chance to discover small businesses that may be a little outside your usual shopping routes, with many vendors coming across the state to take part in this beloved fall market.

See The Full List of Vendors

Grab a drink from the Craft Beer and Cocktail Court

A vendor set up under a white tent. On a black table are several rows of alcohol mixes. Four customer laugh and two vendors smile and organize the merchandise. — *Visitors enjoy a sample from Heirloom Bottling Co. of St. Louis, Missouri Nathan Kwarta | Missouri Botanical Garden*

Located in the Central Axis near the Climatron, the Craft Beer and Cocktail court showcases several wineries, distilleries, breweries and other local spirit sellers.

Guests 21+ can enjoy samples, sip on a drink while they shop and take home a bottle or pack of their favorite flavor.

Discover More: Pumpkin Spice Plants

See The Full List of Vendors

Learn Something New at the Makers Stage

In the foreground: the backs of several people seated in chairs. On the stage is Daria McKelvey, a Black woman with short hair, holding a microphone and wearing a red long sleeved shirt and black pants. — *Daria McKelvey, Supervisor of Home Gardening Information & Outreach at the Garden, gives a special talk at the Makers Stage. Nathan Kwarta | Missouri Botanical Garden*

A hidden gem of the Best of Missouri Market® , the Makers Stage in the Bayer Event Center features lively half-hour presentations from local experts and Garden staff on topics to help you enjoy fall to the fullest.

Presented by the Members’ Board of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the 2024 Makers Stage will feature topics like The Apple of My Pie: Which Apple is Pie-perfect?, The Beauty and Benefits of Fall Color in Your Garden, and The Art of Charcuterie.

These presentations are included with admission to the market, with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

See the makers stage schedule

Explore the Kids Corner

A small Asian child wearing a bright yellow, puffy jacket and a purple beanie. The child sits in a field of small pumpkins. — *A young child sits in the mini pumpkin patch at the Best of Missouri Market®. Photo by Kelly Cato/ Missouri Botanical Garden,*

Best of Missouri Market® is a family-friendly event, with a special area and activities designed specifically for our young guests.

The Kids’ Corner returns with face painting, a petting zoo, pot-a-plant activities, crafts, and a pumpkin patch with sustainable pumpkin decorating, and circus performers.

How to Get Tickets to Best of Missouri Market®

Two visitors, one Asian and one white, pet a llama behind a metal barrier. — *Visitors enjoy the petting zoo at the Best of Missouri Market® Kids Corner. Photo by Robert P. Schmidt / Missouri Botanical Garden*

Best of Missouri Market® is one of the Garden’s more popular signature events, and we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.

Please note that all admission to the Garden during the market will be set at the event price. There are no early morning walking hours during signature events, and discounted admission for St. Louis City and County residents does not apply on Saturday, October 5.

As a reminder, the Missouri Botanical Garden never sells tickets on third-party platforms, including social media.

General Adult Admission (13+) | $18
General Children’s Admission (12 and under) | $9
Garden Member Adults (13+) | $9
Garden Member Children (12 and under) | Free
Festival-Level Members | Free + 6 Free Tickets

Purchase Tickets in Advance

Get Your Tickets

Where to Park During Best of Missouri Market®

The Garden offers parking outside of the Visitor Center, including several EV charging stations. There is no charge for parking at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

During Best of Missouri Market®, a portion of the parking lot will be used to host vendors. In the event that the parking lot is full, visitors should use the free parking at the overflow lots at the corner of Shaw Boulevard and Vandeventer. Shuttles will be running from this parking lot to the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center throughout the festival.

As leaders in sustainability, we are also big fans of walking, biking and public transportation. We offer bike parking near the Visitor Center and are conveniently located near two Metro bus stops.

Discover More: 9 Things To Do This Fall at The Missouri Botanical Garden

Jessika Eidson | Public Information Officer

2 responses to “Visitor’s Guide: Best of Missouri Market® 2024”

Barbara

October 2, 2024 at 7:51 pm

Where is handicap parking

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1. mbgadmin
  
  October 3, 2024 at 2:42 pm
  
  Handicap parking is available in the main parking lot outside the Visitor Center. If those spots are full, we also offer a free shuttle from our satellite parking lot (located on Shaw Boulevard and South Vandeventer Avenue) that will take you directly to the Visitor Center. For accessibility assistance during your visit, please call our hospitality line at (314) 327-6390 upon arrival.
  
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