COMMUNITY & CULTURE
MEET ME IN …
Soulard
By Trish Muyco-Tobin
One of St . Louis ’ oldest neighborhoods is also one of its liveliest . Named after Frenchman Antoine Soulard , who made his way to St . Louis in the 1790s as a surveyor for the king of Spain , the neighborhood is located just south of the Gateway Arch . As payment for services rendered , the Spanish governor gave Antoine parcels of land that were part of the city of St . Louis ( some of what is now in the Soulard neighborhood ).
Today , the socially and economically diverse neighborhood is a St . Louis Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places . Its landmark Soulard Farmers Market - willed to the city by Antoine ’ s wife , Julia - has been in operation since 1779 , and is one of the oldest public markets in the country . Another landmark , the world-famous Anheuser-Busch Brewery , was founded in 1852 . It was among 20 working breweries in St . Louis when Prohibition began , and is the only one that survives today .
Soulard is well-known for its annual Mardi Gras celebration . Festivities include a family-friendly pet parade , an annual Mayor ’ s Ball , and one of the largest Mardi Gras parades outside of New Orleans . An average 17 million beads are thrown along the 1.6-mile parade route by approximately 100 “ krewes ” participating . This year ’ s Grand Parade theme is Soulard Celebrates Cinema .
84 GAZELLE STL