Welcome to this week’s St. Charles newsletter! Here’s what you’ll find inside:
⚾ Find out about O’Fallon’s grand reopening of the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex.
🥗 Learn about the region’s first CAVA restaurant, now open in Cottleville.
🏗️ Read about the planned Charlestowne Senior Village in St. Charles.
📅 Mark your calendar with the latest events.
🕵️ Test your local knowledge.
🏡 Check out a St. Charles home that just hit the market.
After undergoing a round of upgrades, the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex will host a formal grand re-opening on April 28. Courtesy City of O’Fallon
📰 AROUND THE BLOCK
New turf fields open at Ozzie Smith Sports Complex: A major upgrade at the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex is ready for its public debut. The City of O’Fallon will host a grand opening for the facility’s newly renovated turf fields on April 28 from 5:30–7:30 p.m., with the Hall of Fame namesake himself scheduled to make an appearance and throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Smith will be available for photos but not for autographs. The formal dedication will take place at 6 p.m., alongside games and family-friendly activities throughout the evening. Upgrades include two fully synthetic fields (A and B) and turf infields on five additional diamonds, a configuration tied to reducing rainouts and supporting tournament play. “Overall, the project has been amazing,” parks director Bill Mitchison said during the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting this month.
CAVA opens in Cottleville: The popular Mediterranean fast-casual chain CAVA has officially landed in St. Charles County. The region’s first location opened at 4765 B Hwy. N in Cottleville last weekend. The 2,900-square-foot restaurant features dine-in seating, digital pickup, and delivery, bringing its customizable bowls and pitas to the area for the first time. The company touts a menu featuring 17 billion menu combinations. The new spot will employ 25–40 people and operate daily from 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. It’s part of the brand’s broader Midwest expansion, with a Des Peres location slated to open later this year. Read more in our online story.
Charlestowne Senior Village gets green light: The St. Charles City Council has approved plans for Charlestowne Senior Village, a 68-unit assisted living and memory care community at Highway B and Boschertown. The project is slated to break ground this fall, with an opening planned for 2027. Led by developers Kevin Kast and Tom Hughes, the 8.2-acre development will feature a cottage-style layout, with residences clustered around shared spaces, such as a central great room, kitchen, gardens, and patios. The developers say the project represents an intentional shift away from traditional senior living facilities with long hallways. TR Hughes will serve as the builder, with Ascent Senior Care handling operations.
A MESSAGE FROM VETTA SPORTS
Enter to win a Vetta Sports summer camp
Want to give your child a summer to remember? Enter for the chance to win a one-week Vetta Sports summer camp! From soccer and kickball to crafts and water play, campers ages 5–12 stay active and engaged while building confidence and friendships.
Anime STL(April 24–26, St. Charles Convention Center): Join thousands of fans for a weekend of anime, cosplay, panels, and vendors. Times and ticket prices vary.
Market Opening Day(April 25, Main Street): Kick off the season with local vendors, fresh goods, and activities at the return of the St. Charles weekly market. 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Free.
Taco King Taco Fest(April 25–26, Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum): Enjoy a weekend of tacos, local vendors, and competitions, including a taco eating contest and hot sauce showdown. Saturday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
Spring Cookie Decorating Class (April 28, Memorial Hall): Learn icing techniques such as outlining, filling, and marbling. 6:30–8:30 p.m. $60.
Monday Market(April 27, Frankie Martin’s Garden): Browse handcrafted goods, and discover emerging brands at this evening pop-up market. 5:30–8:30 p.m. Free.
'80s Music Bingo(April 28, Frankie Martin’s Garden): Test your knowledge of ’80s hits during a themed music bingo night with prizes up for grabs. 7 p.m. Free.
Choir Concert(April 28, Lindenwood Theater): Enjoy this program spanning Western European classical works to 20th-century and world music. 7:30 p.m. $7.68.
Community Play Date x Swap the Playroom(April 30, Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library): Bring kids for a community playdate featuring activities and opportunities to swap toys. 10–11:30 a.m. Free.
Jeremiah Johnson(April 30, Red Fish Blue Fish): Catch a live performance blending blues and Southern rock from the St. Louis-based musician and special guest Paul Niehaus IV. 7 p.m. Free.
BRANDED CONTENT
Why St. Louis families have trusted Apache Village RV for generations
Family-owned and -operated since 1976, Apache Village is expanding with a new location in O’Fallon, Missouri, while continuing to help generations of travelers hit the road with confidence. See why families choose Apache Village.
📌 BULLETIN BOARD
St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer says he is forming a charter review task force to take a fresh look at the city charter, which he said has only been reviewed once in the past 20 years. He said any proposed changes would ultimately go before voters. “I think we need to take a good look at it,” Borgmeyer said at this week’s city council meeting. “There’s some things on there that just absolutely do not make sense.”
Volunteers are invited to help spruce up St. Charles Main Street during a spring cleanup this Sunday, April 26, from 8 a.m.–noon. Participants will plant flowers, tidy green spaces, and clear debris, with a meetup at OPO Startups’ outdoor plaza. RSVPs are requested.
City of St. Charles Councilmember Vince Ratchford says more than 100 volunteers removed 2,777 pounds of trash from 10 locations across St. Charles during this year’s Mission: Clean Stream, collecting everything from tires and electronics to construction debris and plastics.
A tribute to Electric Light Orchestra is coming to Family Arena on May 1, when Mr. Blue Sky takes the stage with special guests The Breakdowns. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $18.55, though a limited number of free tickets are available; here’s where to find them.
The City of St. Peters is bringing back its free Sunset Concert series at 370 Lakeside Park, with live music on select Fridays and Saturdays from May through September. The lineup includes a special “Sunset with the Symphony” performance by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on June 8, along with food trucks and drinks available at each event. The full lineup is now available.
This house was built in 2018 in St. Charles' Bellevaux subdivision. Courtesy of Coldwell Banker–Gundaker
🏠 HOME OF THE WEEK
St. Charles home will hit the market soon
Spread out: This five-bedroom, four-bath home offers about 2,730 square feet on the main level, as well as a finished walk-out lower level, for 4,530 square feet total.
Flexible lower level: A professionally finished walk-out lower level includes two bedrooms, a full bath, an exercise room, and a large family or rec room that could work well for guests or multi-generational living. Outside, the home includes both a covered deck and open deck, along with a three-car garage.
Experience the charm of Historic Downtown Maplewood at the 12th annual Stringfest. Enjoy an evening where live music echoes through the streets, local restaurants serve up crowd-favorite bites, and independent shops invite you to explore. Experience Stringfest.
Fans—new and old—can relive every iconic moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this epic on-screen journey that includes 23 films in one momentous concert experience. Get tickets.
Bigger and Better: How Mainlander became one of St. Louis’ top restaurants.
London Calling: A St. Louis expat on favorite spots in London, now accessible via nonstop flights from Lambert
📸 GAME TIME
Where in St. Charles?
How well do you know St. Charles? Can you guess where we took this photo? We recently introduced a new semi-regular game to test your local knowledge. We’ll share an image in upcoming editions, and you can mark your best guess of the location on our interactive map. We’ll share the results in two weeks. Play Now »
Last time, we shared an image of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Judging by the results, this round was on Easy mode. Several of you notched perfect scores, including Lori G, Kelly, Kathy Ehrhard, Ed Scott, Adriana P, John Donjoian, Michelle Henkel, Robert, Teresa Washburn, Chris H, Barbara Raymer, Ellen Welch, Kevin McCoy, Gus Duggan, Laura Ampleman, Jamie Coleman, C. Pierce, Charla, Mary McClaskey, Linda Shell, Heather Cosman, Angie, and Cindy L. Great work, everyone!
💬
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