9 St. Louis food and drink events to check out this month

Tasting Thursdays at Cinder Bar
Aug. 4, 11, 18 & 25 – 6 to 9 p.m., Cinder House and Bar, 999 N. Second St., St. Louis, cinderhousestl.com
This series will highlight a different, notable spirit brand every Thursday through the end of August. The brand will host a tasting area, and the bar will feature a special cocktail showcasing that week's spirit du jour. Imbibe while grooving to tunes provided by DJ Mark Lewis and taking in stunning views of downtown. Free to attend; drinks available for purchase.

Pedal the Cause: A World Without Cancer Day
Aug. 5, participating bars and restaurants, pedalthecause.org/awwcd
Support cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids by grabbing food and drink from participating bars and restaurants celebrating A World Without Cancer Day. Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Ices Plain and Fancy and Lona’s Lil Eats are just a few of the businesses that will be donating a portion of proceeds to Pedal the Cause. Find a full list of participating venues online. Sauce Magazine is a sponsor of this event.

Sauce Food Truck Friday
Aug. 12 – 4 to 8 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucefoodtruckfriday.com
Like tough choices? Tower Grove Park offers dinner from 15 of our favorite food trucks in St. Louis on 8 Fridays this summer. Luckily you can't go wrong with any of them, any Friday. This is a Sauce Magazine event.

Grub & Groove
Aug. 13 – 2 to 10 p.m., Francis Park, Eichelberger Street and Donovan Avenue, St. Louis, grubandgroove.org
Rock out at a full-day concert to support ongoing maintenance and improvement at Francis Park. Vendors like Steve's Hot Dogs and Ices Plain & Fancy will be serving food, with beverages from Rockwell Beer Co., 4 Hands and 1220 Spirits. New to this year's festival: a ticketed pig roast on Friday, Aug. 12. Admission is free with food and drinks available for purchase.

Alton Food Truck Festival
Aug. 27 – 4 to 8 p.m., Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater, 1 Riverfront Drive, Alton, altonriverfrontampitheater.com
A stacked food truck lineup including Pig on a Wing, Farmtruk and Cheese Shack parks at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater for a tasty transition into fall along the Mississippi River. The event will feature live music by Groove Thang. Free admission. Sauce Magazine is a sponsor of this event.

St. Louis Garlic Fest
Aug. 27 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Steampunk Brew Works, 231 Lamp and Lantern Village, Chesterfield, facebook.com
Celebrate garlic in all its forms – raw, pickled, roasted, even in ice cream – and pick up seeds in time for planting season in the fall. This year, the festival moves to Steampunk Brew Works, where there will surely be plenty to drink. With live music from Bob Camp and the Space Campers and a garlic eating contest, it's a flavorful way to spend a Saturday. Admission is free with food and drinks available for purchase.

St. Louis VegFest
Aug. 28 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., World's Fair Pavilion at Forest Park, St. Louis, stlouisvegfest.org
St. Louis' favorite vegan event returns to Forest Park with a diverse vendor lineup and non-culinary activities from yoga instruction and sound baths to stand-up comedy and live music. Vendors range from Flourish and Two Men and a Garden to Adina's Vegan Cuisine and Wandering Yeti, and the full lineup can be found online. Admission is free with food and drinks available for purchase.

While the next two events take place in September, we thought it was important to include them in this list as they're in the early part of the month.

Midwest Wingfest
Sept. 2 – 5 to 12 a.m., Sept. 3 – 12 to 12 a.m., 275 St. Clair Square, Fairview Heights, midwestwingfest.com
Join tens of thousands for the region's most epic chicken wing festival, with proceeds supporting combat wounded and fallen soldiers. Two nights of live music, an abundance of kid-friendly activities and a high-octane wing-eating competition make the festival unmissable. Admission is $5 for those 13 and older.

St. Louis World’s Fare: Heritage Festival & Games
Sept. 2, 3 & 4 – Upper Muny Lot, 1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, stlworldsfare.com
This three-day festival features games, performances and other attractions sure to appeal to St. Louisans of all ages. National touring acts like DJ Mix Master Mike and Fishbone? Check. Kids’ arts and crafts, games and more? Check. Backyard games like badminton, cornhole and washers? Check. Food Truck Row with your favorite STL trucks? Check. Free admission. Sauce Magazine is a sponsor of this event.