America's Birthday Parade, a tradition in St. Louis since 1878 (formerly known as the Veiled Prophet Parade or V.P. Parade), kicks off on July 4th at 9:30 a.m. at 20th and Market Streets. The theme for this year's parade is "The U.S. Experience." The parade route proceeds down Market Street and ends at Market and Broadway.
The year's parade features 14 marching bands from across the region, beautifully designed floats, huge, helium-filled character balloons, special performances throughout the parade and dozens of organizations representing our community and region.
More information: americasbirthdayparade.com
Learn about the parade route here.
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Energy Stage to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.
Enjoy two hours of horse and pony rides at Castlewood Stables during Parent & Me Pony Rides. Your little ones will also get to interact with other farm animals, like mini potbelly pigs, bunnies, tortoises, a miniature donkey, a zebra and more.
Explore the Saint Louis Zoo in the evenings at the new Animals Aglow exhibit. Bring your family to experience the luminous glow of 50 towering lanterns depicting animals, plants and traditional Chinese elements. Don't miss this celebration of culture and art!
Dinoroarus is back for a limited time at the Saint Louis Zoo. This engaging attraction for all ages features 14 groupings of animatronic and stationary dinosaurs - colorful, prehistoric creatures that move realistically, some roaring and spiting or placidly munching on lush vegetation.