RendeZ-PaLouZa “1776 Meets 2026”

Sappington House Foundation to Host RendeZ-PaLouZa Feast and Artisan Festival on Friday Evening, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 to Benefit Joseph Sappington Log House Reconstruction
The logs are stacking up on the reconstruction of the 1816 Joseph Sappington Log House, the quintessential pioneer home is being rebuilt as a rustic educational and event venue in Crestwood’s charming Historic Sappington Park. To celebrate the reconstruction progress begun last year and help fund the preservation project, the Sappington House Foundation is hosting “RendeZ-PaLouZa 1776 Meets 2026,” an unforgettable two-day artisan festival of food, drink and good times.
The event will take place Friday evening, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 at Crestwood’s Historic Sappington Park, located at 1015 S. Sappington Road. The Joseph Sappington Log House is one of the earliest surviving log structures in St. Louis County and is located next to the Thomas Sappington’s 1808 brick house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and widely considered to be the oldest brick home in St. Louis County.
The event has two parts. DAY ONE: On Friday, September 25th, from 4 to 8 p.m., donors are invited to a harvest feast and festival at The Barn restaurant, with the Booneslick Strings playing music from America’s 250th songbook. Re-enactors Rebecca and Daniel Boone will mingle with guests. A selection of wine from the Old Farm Winery, owned and operated by a Sappington descendant, will be poured during the dinner. A folkways festival, museum tours, special presentations as well as a silent auction will add to the festivities.
After your opportunity to take a photograph with a bald eagle from the World Bird Sanctuary, and sometime between 5 and 7 pm during the harvest feast, Zach Tucker, producer at Once Films, will talk about Historic Sappington Houses’ and Historic Saint Louis’ documentary film project, tentatively entitled “Still Standing: Helping a City Remember.” Missouri Humanities has recently awarded a $15,000 grant toward completing the film.
DAY TWO: On Saturday, September 26th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., folkway artisans will be demonstrating interesting crafts and visitors may have a chance to try their hand at some old-time skills, while fiddle music will be overheard on the lush lawns. Historic re-enactments and dramatic presentations will take place in the Library of Americana and Decorative Arts.
Saturday’s folkway festival is free and open to the public. This is Sappington House’s celebration of America’s 250th founding, and in commemoration, visitors will be able to sign with a quill pen their own Declaration of Independence, as well as listen to a recitation of the Declaration and enjoy a piece of birthday cake.
VIP tickets for Friday’s activities are $100 per person or $175 per couple and include the harvest feast with wine and commemorative gifts. VIP tickets are available at HistoricSappingtonHouses.org/Rendez-Palouza.
Many visitors express a familiar reaction regarding Historic Sappington House programming. “We know intellectually that people lived here 200 years ago, but not until you experience a re-enactment do you feel the reality of frontier life.”
The Historic Sappington House Museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and the third Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.