
See thousands of colorful and ornate lanterns light up the night sky when this ancient Chinese tradition returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the summer season. The Lantern Festival features 22 all-new sets of lanterns crafted from silk and steel, offering visitors the opportunity to experience an event rarely staged outside of Asia.
Lantern festivals are a central part of Chinese culture dating back thousands of years. Today, lantern festivals traditionally mark the Chinese New Year, when complex and ornate lanterns fill cities. The 22 sets that make up the Lantern Festival: Magic Reimagined are constructed using traditional materials including silk, wire and porcelain. Each set is accompanied by interpretation detailing the design's tradition, symbolism and meaning.
The Lantern Festival: Magic Reimagined is open nightly through August 30 at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets are $26 for adults ($13 for members) and $10 for children ages 3-12 ($5 for member's children). Daytime viewing is included with regular Garden admission.
More information and tickets: mobot.org
Photo courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Photo by John Evans.
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.
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.
Explore songs, finger plays, music and more during this Music & Movement class for ages 0-6. Some sessions are held in person at various branches of the St. Louis County Library. Some sessions are virtual.
Free outdoor concerts are back at the Missouri History Museum. The Spring series of concerts features favorite bands, food trucks, and exhibits inside the museum that are open to the public until 8 p.m. on concert nights. Concerts are held from 6-8 p.m.
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. Now open nightly through May 11!