Music at the Intersection brings major artists and great food to the Grand Center Arts District in September

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Mark your calendars – the second Music at the Intersection festival is kicking off in less than a month on Sept. 10 and 11. The event, located in the Grand Center Arts District, is presented by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation in partnership with Steward Family Foundation and The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis. Previously conducted on a smaller scale due to Covid restrictions in 2021, the festival will return full throttle this year and anticipates seeing 7,000 to 10,000 people for each day.

“This is year two, but in a lot of ways this is the first year [of the festival],” said Chris Hansen, executive director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. “We were going to launch the festival in 2020 but Covid hit. We brought it to fruition in 2021 [but] this is the first year of the festival in this outdoor four-stage format.” 

The festival emphasizes the rich history of music in St. Louis and its fellow Mississippi River cities such as New Orleans and Memphis. In fact, most artists have some sort of connection, musical or cultural, ­to St. Louis. The carefully curated lineup features an entourage of Grammy Award-winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and much more, adding up to over 50 local and national acts, ensuring that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Headliners include blues stars Buddy Guy and Gary Clark Jr., international indie group Hiatus Kaiyote, R&B staple Erykah Badu, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, St. Louis alternative rock group The Urge and others. The full lineup and schedule can be viewed on the website.

“Music at the Intersection is a celebration of St. Louis’ footprint on the American songbook,” Hansen said. “There’s a wide variety of music and we’ve intentionally staggered times [so] people can see a lot of the different acts and genres they’re most excited about.”

Make sure to grab a bite to eat at Sauce Magazine’s Food Truck Row, which features local restaurants and breweries. Food trucks will be lined up on Josephine Baker Boulevard, adjacent to the Mural Market. 

The following food trucks will be present:

Destination Desserts
Farmtruk
Sweet Chef
Wok & Roll
Pete’s Pops
Super Smokers BBQ
Cajun Seduction
G Burrito
Tuk Tuk Thai
Grace Chicken + Fish
Juicemasters

Grill Master Tony’s BBQ will also be stationed around the festival for purchase. As for drinks, there will be various stations selling canned beer, wine, sodas and other beverages around festival grounds, and STL Barkeep will head a cocktail program. Local brewers such as 4 Hands Brewing Co., Logboat Brewery and Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., along with frozen cocktails from Narwhal’s Crafted, will be present as well. “It’s hyperlocal,” Hansen said.

In addition to the Sauce Magazine Food Truck Row, which is subject to change, the festival footprint will feature four stages and a Mural Market with over 35 market vendors. Through what Hansen calls “art activation,” attendees can watch live street art, artist talks, mural wall creations and immersive video art. Additionally, there is a St. Louis-based emphasis for local artisan vendors – including Vibe Szn (jewelry), Swade/Sinse (cannabis accessories), Cbabi Bayoc (muralist) and Procure by The Women’s Creative (clothing). 

“We’re going to be doing a call to action to support artist brands [and] the Regional Arts Commission,” Hansen said. “You’re going to be able to watch live art activated. You’re also going to get to enjoy dozens of murals on our mural walk, which is inside the festival footprint.”

Festival grounds will open at 11 a.m. each day and performances will run until after sunset. General admission starts at $79 for a day pass and $149 for the entire weekend. General admission + and VIP ticket packages are also available. General admission + ($175 day pass and $325 weekend pass) provides private bar access, indoor restrooms and exclusive programming in Sophie’s Artist Lounge, The VIP experience ($350 day pass and $650 weekend pass) includes general admission + features, in addition to VIP seating, VIP viewing areas at all stages, VIP Village pass (drink tickets, VIP bars and food vendors) and a commemorative poster. All tickets can be purchased on MetroTix.

Other entertainment options include pre- and after-parties and the Intersession micro-conference. For the former, venues Sheldon Concert Hall, The Grandel Theater and Jazz St. Louis will host pre- and after-party entertainment. Tickets can be purchased on the website. As for the latter, Music at the Intersection is collaborating with the Webster University School of Communications, The Recording Academy and other industry leaders to host a series of artist development workshops and professional development panels at .ZACK on Sept. 8 and 9. Those interested can RSVP for free.

“I’m excited to celebrate St. Louis,” Hansen said. “It’s an amazing feeling to [tell] such an important story and to help St. Louis reconnect itself with its great musical heritage.”