The calendar may say June 21st is the official first day of summer but everyone knows the REAL first sign of summer is Memorial Day weekend. Most of us have the day off to spend with family and friends and nowhere are there more fun things to do than in St. Louis!

Why not make 2015 the year you start a family tradition by attending the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis? Beginning May 22nd and running through June 13th, this event was voted the Best Free Event in St. Louis in 2012. Held at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park, the show runs every night except Tuesday with pre-show activities beginning at 6:30PM.
Blues, BBQ and Beer is what you’ll find at the St. Louis Ribfest. This Memorial Day bash kicks off Friday, May 23rd at 5PM with Catfish Willie jamming out on the St. Charles, New Town Amphitheater stage.
Who doesn’t like a bargain? Memorial Day weekend is the big Grafton Riverside Flea Market. Vendors line up and down Front Street selling everything from Depression glass to rare books.
For even more shopping, May 25th beginning at 7AM is the 43rd annual Gypsy Caravan. All proceeds benefit the St. Louis Symphony and this year there will be almost 500 vendors selling everything under the sun at The Family Arena.
Then what would Memorial Day be without a parade? The first Alton Memorial Parade was held three years after the end of the Civil War and has been going strong ever since. The parade begins right at 10AM and all you need to bring is a lawn chair for sitting and an American flag for waving.

We here at Ellis Dental wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. We will be closed Monday, May 25th, reopening for business Tuesday, May 26th. To schedule an appointment please contact us online or by calling 314.965.1334.

For many people Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and after this past winter, it can’t get here soon enough! Memorial Day weekend gives us a wonderful opportunity to go the lake with family and friends, enjoy a relaxing evening barbequing at one of our great St. Louis parks or heading out for an afternoon of golf, tennis or to take advantage of all those great holiday sales. But how many of us really take the time to commemorate the true meaning of the day? Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day since the tradition began by decorating soldier’s gravesites. First officially recognized on May 30, 1868 to honor deceased Civil War soldiers, after the end of the First World War in 1919, Decoration Day was then expanded to include all military personnel who had died while serving our nation.

After World War II Decoration Day became better known as Memorial Day and then in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson officially changed the name. In the past Memorial Day had always been celebrated on May 30th until 1971 when Congress declared it a national holiday under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This act allowed four holidays to be moved from their traditional dates to a Monday in order to create three day weekends.

Now cities across America observe Memorial Day with parades honoring all branches of the military including our own parade right here in St. Louis sponsored by V.F.W Post #3055.

Ellis Dental would like to take this opportunity to thank all our military personnel and their families for their selfless service in defending our great nation. We will be closed out of respect on Monday, May 26th; resuming regular business hours on Tuesday.

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Memorial Weekend Activities for the Entire Family

Remembering the True Meaning of Memorial Day