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Ride Metro Transit to Fair Saint Louis Festivities in Downtown St. Louis
Fair Saint Louis returns to the Gateway Arch National Park and St. Louis Riverfront on July 4, July 6 and July 7 for the first time since 2013, and Metro Transit is a great way to get to downtown St. Louis for all of the fun and festivities at the parade and the fair. With 21 Park-Ride lots, more than 10,000 free parking spaces, five MetroLink stations serving downtown, and trains arriving and departing downtown St. Louis every 10 minutes, Metro Transit makes it convenient for parade-goers and fairgoers to avoid the street closures, traffic jams and parking issues.
America’s Birthday Parade – July 4
MetroLink and MetroBus are great options for bi-state area residents and out-of-town visitors to get to the America’s Birthday Parade (VP Parade) in downtown St. Louis.
Taking MetroLink
Parade-goers who want to catch MetroLink can park their vehicles at any one of 21 free Metro Park-Ride lots in Missouri and Illinois and ride MetroLink to the Union Station MetroLink Station, which is near the parade’s starting point at 20th and Market Streets, or to the Civic Center, Stadium or 8th & Pine MetroLink Stations, which are all near the parade route. America’s Birthday Parade begins at 9:30 a.m.
NOTE: The elevator at the Union Station MetroLink Station is out of service while undergoing a complete rehabilitation, so families using strollers and parade-goers who cannot navigate stairs or steps should get off the train at the Civic Center Transit Center. They can follow the north walkway to access Clark Avenue to continue north to Market Street.
MetroLink will operate on a Sunday schedule on Wednesday, July 4, and both eastbound and westbound trains will arrive in and leave downtown St. Louis every 10 minutes during the morning.
Taking MetroBus
Parade-goers can ride on any of the 18 MetroBus routes to the Civic Center Transit Center and walk a couple of blocks north to the parade route. Some MetroBus routes will experience detours due to the closure of Market Street for the parade, so passengers are encouraged to allow a little more time for their commutes that morning.
MetroBus routes will operate on a Sunday schedule on Wednesday, July 4.
Fair Saint Louis – July 4, 6 & 7
MetroLink is the most convenient transportation option for fairgoers around the bi-state region to travel to the Gateway Arch National Park and St. Louis Riverfront to enjoy the food, fun, music and fireworks of Fair Saint Louis. Each day of the fair, Metro will add extra MetroLink trains into service to accommodate the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the annual celebration.
To help avoid crowds and long lines, Missouri MetroLink passengers are encouraged to use the 8th & Pine MetroLink Station when heading to and from Fair Saint Louis, and Illinois MetroLink passengers are asked to use the Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Station to access the fairgrounds. Also, to minimize wait times when the crowds head home after the fireworks, all MetroLink passengers are encouraged to purchase two MetroLink tickets on their way to Fair Saint Louis, so they will already have their return ticket in hand when they are ready to leave.
MetroBus is another option, as fairgoers can ride on any of more than 15 MetroBus routes to the Civic Center Transit Center and ride MetroLink to the 8th & Pine Station to reach the fairgrounds. The #40 North Broadway also serves stops on Broadway and 4th Street near the Fair Saint Louis festivities. Please keep in mind, MetroBus vehicles are only be able to move as fast as the downtown traffic is moving, so MetroBus passengers may experience delays when traveling through this area.
Metro Transit employees and public safety officers will be working with local law enforcement to safely and efficiently transport fairgoers taking MetroLink to and from the fair. Trains will be crowded, especially after the firework shows each night, so riders are asked to be patient and respectful of others. No eating, drinking or smoking (including e-cigarettes) is allowed on Metro vehicles or on Metro property. For those bringing strollers on MetroLink trains, please be ready to fold them up before boarding the train. Alcohol and firearms are prohibited on Metro Transit vehicles and property, No food or drinks are allowed on MetroLink trains or MetroBus vehicles. No alcohol or coolers are allowed at the fair. Pets are not permitted on Metro Transit vehicles, except for service animals.
Free Park-Ride Lots
Transit riders can park at any one of 21 free Park-Ride lots at MetroLink stations in Missouri and Illinois and take advantage of more than 10,000 free parking spaces in the bi-state area. Large numbers of free parking spaces can be found at the following transit locations:
- North Hanley Transit Center: 1,731 spaces
- Brentwood I-64 Transit Center: 914 spaces
- Fairview Heights Transit Center: 853 spaces
- Emerson Park Transit Center: 815 spaces
- Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 Transit Center: 800 spaces
- Forest Park-DeBaliviere Transit Center: 118 spaces
Transit Schedules
MetroLink will operate on a Sunday schedule on Wednesday, July 4, on a regular weekday schedule on Friday, July 6, and on a Saturday schedule on Saturday, July 7. Extra trains will be put into service each evening on those dates to accommodate Fair Saint Louis attendees. MetroLink Operations will monitor platforms throughout Fair Saint Louis for overcrowding and will add extra service, as needed.
MetroBus will operate on a Sunday schedule on Wednesday, July 4, on a regular weekday schedule on Friday, July 6, and on a Saturday schedule on Saturday, July 7.
Purchasing Metro Transit Tickets
Metro Transit employees and ticket agents will be at select MetroLink stations along the system to assist fairgoers all three days. For only $5 – the cost of two one-ride tickets – fairgoers can enjoy a round-trip ride to Fair Saint Louis on MetroLink. MetroLink riders are encouraged to purchase two one-ride tickets while on their way to Fair Saint Louis to avoid delays and waiting in line to purchase tickets when they leave the fair. MetroLink riders need to validate one ticket for the trip to the fair and one ticket for the ride home.
A one-ride MetroBus fare is $2 and $3 for a 2-Hour Pass/Transfer. Information about other Metro Transit passes is available at metrostlouis.org.
Plan Your Trip
To plan your trip to the America’s Birthday Parade or Fair Saint Louis, download the Metro On The Go App to your mobile device, or use the Trip Planner on metrostlouis.org or contact Metro Transit Information at 314-231-2345 or 618-271-2345, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Metro Transit Information phone lines will be closed on July 4.
About Metro Transit
Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system which includes 400 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 83 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 37 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call‑A‑Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro Transit is one of five enterprises operated by Bi-State Development.