There’ll be plenty to see, hear, do and learn at the De Soto Senior Expo slated for 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 3, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 13225 Hwy. E, in De Soto. After free doughnuts and coffee, an array of activities will be held, including free bingo; live music and dancing; entertaining speakers and informational displays.
Admission is free for the event, which is one of six expos Leader Publications is holding this year for people 50 and older.
Seniors from Jefferson County and beyond are encouraged to attend.
The schedule for the morning looks like this:
■ 8 a.m. – Doors open; free coffee and doughnuts will be available, courtesy of Leader Publications. Vendors will be on hand with a wide variety of goods and services of interest to seniors. Many will offer giveaways and drawings for free items. Smart attendees will bring pre-printed address labels to simplify entering drawings, filling out forms or requesting information.
■ 8:30 a.m. – Party Paws Mobile Zoo will showcase animals, including owls, an alligator, snakes and more. Staff and their animal charges will be available for photos and questions afterward.
■ 9 a.m. – First session of free bingo will be played in front of the stage. Former Leader sales rep Jeff Adams will serve as caller.
■ 9:30 a.m. – Spotlight Community Theatre representatives will speak about upcoming shows, how to get involved and the group’s mission.
■ 10 a.m. – Caller extraordinaire Jeff Adams will preside over a second session of free bingo, with prizes of gift certificates to local businesses and restaurants.
■ 10:30 a.m. – Don Ficken with the Missouri Eclipse Task Force will talk about the solar eclipse happening just after noon on Monday, April 8. The St. Louis Astronomical Society will have a booth at the event and will hand out eclipse glasses for safe viewing of the phenomenon.
■ 11 a.m. – The grand prize and other prizes will be announced.
■ 11:15 a.m. – The J.B. Louis and the Legends band will perform.
■ Noon – Expo closes.
Prizes
Expogoers may register at the Leader booth for a chance to win the grand prize: Tickets to the Spotlight Community Theatre group’s performance of the musical “Oklahoma!” The winner, drawn at random from among all eligible entries, will receive a pair of third-row-center tickets to the 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, performance of the legendary musical. The winners will be escorted to their seats by a member of the troupe and will have the opportunity to get a photo with the cast following the show. The afternoon will conclude with dinner for two at Taytro’s, a Cajun-themed restaurant and bar. In addition to its Cajun food, the restaurant serves steaks, seafood, chicken, salads and more.
There is a limit of one entry per person, and you must be present to win. Only those 50 or older are eligible to win, but the winner may take a guest of any age.
Photo contest winners
Brett Young of Barnhart won first place and a $100 cash prize in this year’s “Show Off Your Grandkids” photo contest. Readers were encouraged to submit a photo they had taken of their grandchildren, and more than 200 proud grandmas and grandpas answered the call. Young’s photo depicted his 1-year-old granddaughter, Molly, playing with a bubble toy, and was chosen for its composition, charm and technical aspects like crop, focus and lighting. Second place and $50 went to Gene Helton of Eureka for a picture he snapped of his costumed granddaughters, Reagan and Peyton Flora. Third place and a $25 prize went to Jeff Stieren of Eureka for a photo of his spaghetti-eating grandson, Wade Austin Graville.
The winning photos and submission galleries can be found here on the Leader website:
For Brett Young, it was easy to pick which photo he wanted to enter in the annual Show Off Your Grandkids contest, sponsored by Grand Times, L…
Entries are now being accepted for the “Way Back When” photo contest, sponsored by Grand Times, Leader Publications’ magazine for seniors. Jefferson County, Eureka and Wildwood-area readers age 50 and older are invited to enter the contest by sending in photos that are at least 25 years old, from 1999 or earlier. The photos may feature people, places or events. Entries may be sent by mail: P.O. Box 159, Festus, 63028; dropped off in person: 503 N. Second St., Festus; or sent by email: news@leaderpublications.biz.
The contest is offered in conjunction with the Leader’s first-ever South County Senior Expo, set for 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 1, at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 6050 Wells Road, in St. Louis County. Winners will be drawn at random to win cash prizes. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday, April 11.
Area seniors have the chance to enter this year’s Way Back When photo contest.
Upcoming senior expos
The Leader puts on several senior expos throughout the year, which include music, bingo, prizes, guest speakers, entertainment and vendors representing local businesses and organizations.
More information will be available in upcoming editions of the Grand Times, which are published the Thursday before each event.
The following expos are planned from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays around Jefferson County and Eureka:
■ South County Senior expo, May 1, at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 6050 Wells Road.
■ Festus Senior Expo, June 26, at the Festus R-6 Performing Arts Center.
■ West Side Senior Expo, July 24, at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill.
■ Arnold Senior Expo, Aug. 21, at the Arnold Eagles Hall.
■ Eureka Senior Expo, Oct. 16., at the Timbers of Eureka.
Businesses and organizations interested in securing a vendor space for any of these events can contact the Leader at 636-931-7560 or ads@leaderpublications.biz.
More information on senior expos can be found at myleaderpaper.com/seniorexpo.