If you happen to have K-Pop Demon Hunter outfit hanging in the back of your closet, it’s time to get it out. The colorful, costume-filled Purim reenactment and march is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3. The festivities get underway at 2 p.m. at the corner of Gay and Cornell avenues in University City.
A costume is optional, but it’s a good idea to wear comfortable walking shoes. The crowd that gathers to watch also joins in to march along with the key players in the Purim story. The procession walks several blocks east, then returns near the starting point. It ends at Saxony Court.
The event usually attracts between 400 and 500 participants. Rose Ann Ariel, who has helped organize the Purim reenactment since it began in 2003, said everyone in the community is encouraged to attend.
“It’s a nice thing for families to do together,” Ariel said. “It’s fun and kids enjoy it. We want as many people as possible to come out.”
Ariel said security would be provided, and as in past years, she will notify the participants in the reenactment about their roles shortly before Purim.
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“Haman and Mordecai and the flag bearers are different every year,” she said.
In 2025, Eugene Vorobeychik was assigned to don the royal robes and crown of King Mordecai. That also meant he climbed onto the saddle of a horse, his first time doing so. Part of the fun for participants is learning who will dress the part for the reenactment, Ariel said.
While Purim parades and festivals are common in Jewish communities around the world, the St. Louis event is one of the only live, mobile reenactments. In the past couple of years, attendees have dressed as wizards, Cardinals and Blues players, Vikings and the blue left shark. The custom of dressing in costume for Purim is thought to have originated around the end of the 15th century, when Italian Jews adopted the practice from carnivals in the country.
