The 1904 World’s Fair Society has monthly membership meetings with programs on various topics relating to the Fair.
It has always been a tradition of the organization to have a meeting near the end of April to celebrate “opening day”, (the day the fair opened, April 30th,1904), and to have a “closing day” banquet in December (the day the fair closed, December 1st, 1904) .
Most meetings have a drawing for an attendance prize for members attending the meeting. You may register every time you attend a meeting at the reception table near the door. Attending more meetings will give you more opportunities to win. Attendance prizes will vary. Often they will match the subject of the meeting. You must be present to win.
The meetings are always well attended with people very knowledgeable about the fair. Please feel free to attend and ask questions. Visitors are always welcome.
Show and Tell September 8, 2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm - It’s time for our annual “members” program. We ask that attendees look through their memorabilia collections and memories, and bring a special “treasure” or two from the Fair to share. Guests are also welcome to bring a Fair-related item to share. Please bring no more than 3 items, and spend just a few minutes telling us about your treasure. Annual Picnic October 4, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm The 2025 picnic has been rescheduled to October. The Society will provide hot dogs, iced tea and ice cream, and members are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share. Meet Sarah Tyson Rorer November 10, 2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Charter member Pam Vaccaro will present a new program about Sarah Tyson Rorer.
University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130, USA
- Come and learn about the incredible variety of items that were produced for the best Fair ever! Also, attendees may talk with Society members about their own memorabilia,
- Many members will bring some of their favorite Fair treasures to show and share. Every year there’s something new or unusual we’ve not seen before…interesting stories, too.
Kirkwood Park, 111 S Geyer Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122, USA
We’ll have a great lunch (of course), and play a fun group game. There will also be a “World’s Fair Memorabilia Auction” of donated memorabilia and by members. Members are urged to bring a few Fair items to sell or be auctioned (a minimum price can be set); a portion of those auction proceeds may be donated to the Society. We will also auction several 1904 Fair memorabilia items which have been donated to the Society. Some items may be sold via a silent auction, and some items may be selected to be sold in a ‘live’ auction, going to the highest bidder. Since members can also sell or auction a few items of their own, start surveying your collections for possible items to "downsize"!
University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130, USA
- Sarah Tyson Rorer authored 75 cook books and pamphlets. She edited her own magazine Table Talk, the short-lived Household News, and was domestic editor of the Ladies Home Journal for 14 years. She headed the Philadelphia School of Cooking from 1883 to 1903. She was the Julia Child of her era.
- For the 1904 Fair, she wrote a cookbook titled “World’s Fair Souvenir Cookbook”, which sold for 50 cents.
- She also operated The Model Restaurant at the Fair (the East Pavilion cafe), which could seat 1200 people. She rented the East Pavilion cafe for $7,500.
- Mrs. Rorer had the reputation of being a master coffee brewer, as she sold cups for 15 cents and tins of coffee. Her many cook books emphasized healthy food, advanced the science and art of cooking. Unfortunately, she died poor in 1937 at the age of 88 after losing her financial holdings in the Great Depression.