
Head to Forest Park for the Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race. Watch as nearly 60 hot air balloons inflate, glow and launch. Families can also enjoy food trucks, fireworks, children's activities and live music.
Festivities begin at 5 p.m. Friday, September 20 (live music with DJ Reggie on the Main Stage, food trucks and kids' activities), and the Balloon Glow lasts from dusk to 9 p.m. At 9 p.m. the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team takes flight, and fireworks are set for 9:15 p.m.
On Saturday, September 21, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race begins at 1 p.m. with live music on the main stage, a family picnic area, and the Purina Children's Entertainment area. Don't miss the Purina Pro Plan Performance Team at 1:15 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. There will also be food trucks, inflatables, games and kids' activities from St. Louis Children's Hospital.
The afternoon includes the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team at 3 p.m., and balloon launches beginning at 4:30 p.m. The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race are held at the Emerson Central Fields in Forest Park are free to attend.
More information: greatforestparkballoonrace.com
Visit the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park and see a star show to experience the largest artificial sky in the Western Hemisphere. Star shows are lead LIVE by one of the Planetarium's educators, creating a new and tailored experience for every audience.
See the amazing sea lions at the Saint Louis Zoo perform for the crowd and cheer them on from the bleachers as the popular Sea Lion Spring Training Shows return. You'll see these beautiful animals perform flipper walks, ball balancing, Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, lots of splashing and even more surprises!
The Saint Louis Science Center has expanded its Preschool Science Series to include new offerings for different age groups of young scientists. Storybook STEM is for ages 3 to 5.
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Life Science Lab Classroom at the Saint Louis Science Center 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.
Explore the Saint Louis Zoo in the evenings at the Chinese lantern festival Animals Aglow! Animals Aglow returns to illuminate the Saint Louis Zoo for the second year with dozens of new, towering lanterns and light displays.