The enormous indoor JumboTron inside Armory STL, flashed the words“#STLMADE” and “314 Day.” The almost 6-acre midtown entertainment complex was jam-packed Saturday with people who enjoyed family-friendly games, the food courts and a variety of small business vendors who displayed an eclectic array of products.
The day was dubbed “314 Day Small Business & Wellness Expo.” It was one of the first of a long list of events this month designed to “bring St. Louis together to celebrate the positive things happening in the city,” according to its creators.
In 2006, Terrell “Young Dip” Evans and Tatum Polk created “314 Day,” to celebrate all things St. Louis. In 18 years, the celebration has evolved to become an official region-wide holiday shared by all local cultures, as well as organizations and businesses large and small throughout the unique communities and neighborhoods that make up the St. Louis metro.
For Sharell Collins,one of the “314 Day” business expo coordinators, the event provided the region with a chance to “celebrate what’s really happening in the region.” Collins, who hails from Chicago, has lived in St. Louis for about six years. Her new adopted town, she said, is “a homegrown business city” that she eagerly promotes.
“The bigger message is that we’re showcasing the real St. Louis,” Collins said. “We all hear about the crime and the gentrification but we don’t talk about how St. Louis is in a renaissance. I love the fact that we are part of a rebuild here and can’t wait for all the changes that are going to come.”
One of the expo’s vendors, Dara Hamilton, echoed Collins’ renaissance theme. She owns GemU Vintage and sells resale clothing items. The native St. Louisan left the city in 2016 and was working in New York’s fashion industry until she returned home in 2021 to care for a grandparent sidelined by COVID-19.
Hamilton’s display racks has all sorts of back-in-the-day gems like varsity jackets, be-bop skirts, bejeweled hats, and even old-fashioned lingerie-type garments. She chuckled, pointing to a silk slip: “Girls wear those now with sneakers and boots,” Hamilton said, adding: “Styles change a little bit, so…”
She got the idea while working in New York’s fashion scene which she described as “polluting because of the waste.”
“People wear things once and just throw them away,” Hamilton stressed. “I wanted to create something sustainable in the fashion industry.”
Even though St. Louis isn’t in the same league as the “Big Apple” fashion-wise, Hamilton said she sees potential in Da Lou. Her wish is that native St. Louisans who’ve found success elsewhere, bring their talents back to “represent our city.”
The “314 Day,” she said, is an admirable attempt to do just that.
“It’s a chance to show off St. Louis’ flavor,” Hamilton said. “We eat our go-to Imos, White Castles and our Chinese rice and St. Paul sandwiches, and we drink our Vess sodas. Today is a day to celebrate us as St. Louisans.”
Rashiyon Stockett believes she offers one-of-kind products-at least in the region. Stockett’s company, Golden Heart Candle Co, offers candles in the shape of cakes and cupcakes, Nike tennis shoes and other unique items. Stockett said she works with one of the 314 Day founders, Polk, in another venture and considers he and his partner’s vision, and especially the small business expo. a “welcoming” endeavor for the region.
“To have something like the Armory getting thousands of people to come in-even if it’s just a walk-through; to get our name out there and see what we offer…it’s a great thing for the city,” Stockett said.
Sherrell Hall is theco-owner of 13th and Canna, a luxury candle company. Hall has been in business for about three years. She offers designer candles and car sprays specially formulated to “neutralize all types of odors including cooking, burnt popcorn, fish, cannabis, pet odors” and more.
Although Hall and her business partner, Tameca Burnett, have a brick-and-mortar establishment at the intersection of Cherokee and Iowa streets in South St. Louis, she jumped at the idea of participating in an event that introduces the entire region to new and small business entrepreneurs in St. Louis.
“For us, it’s about giving back to our hometown,” Hall said, adding, “paying homage and showing everyone that this is what we do.”
Perhaps Collins,the expo coordinator, gave the best personal rationale for making 314 Day a regional priority and local success.
“I love doing something for the city, bringing resources and the community together in different ways outside of just entertainment…I just like that.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
