Wednesdays are for music! Whitaker Music Festival concerts will be held outdoors on the lawn of the Cohen Amphitheater this summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The festival is funded by the Whitaker Foundation, which supports St. Louis arts and parks to promote common heritage, celebrate diversity and encourage vitality within the community.

The diverse lineups feature primarily local musical artists performing in a broad range of musical genres, including jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, rhythm and blues and more. The musical artists, selected to emphasize the rich cultural and musical diversity of St. Louis' musical heritage, enjoy broad public exposure that contributes to their future success.

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, and the concert series is the only time of the year when picnicking is allowed on Garden grounds! Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic supper, baskets or coolers—no barbeque grills, fireworks, sparklers, pets, glass of any kind or firearms allowed. Security checks will take place at entry.

This year’s lineup can be found at

www.missouribotanicalgarden.org

Times: Free entry begins at 5 p.m. on each performance evening. Last entry is at 8:15 p.m. Live music begins at 7 p.m.

Where to enter: All visitors must enter through the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center.

What else is open? Wednesdays are for music! So some areas of the Garden, including conservatories and the Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden, are closed on Whitaker Music Festival evenings.

History: The Missouri Botanical Garden hosted "Jazz in June" concerts from 1987–1995, charging admission and capping attendance. In 1996, the Whitaker Foundation's generous support in underwriting the concerts allowed us to provide complimentary admission for all. The Whitaker Music Festival has continued ever since.