Air show fun, and sharks too

The St. Louis County Fair and Air Show always provides lots of end-of-season fun for kids and families. This year's fair also includes a big traveling shark exhibit.

The 13th annual St. Louis County Fair and Air Show will be held Friday through Monday, Sept. 3-6, at the fairgrounds at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo.

Monday, Sept. 6, has been designated as Scout Day. Boy and Girl Scouts attending in uniform will get free admission when accompanied by a paying adult.

In addition, the scouts can attend educational sessions and complete some requirements for their aviation or aerospace badges. The badge seminars will be from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. Each seminar lasts about 30 minutes.

For complete details on the fair and air show you can call (636) 530-9386 or visit www.stlcofair.org.

As always, there are all sorts of neat shows and activities for kids and their families.

A big draw is the daily air show. In fact, this year, on Saturday and Sunday, there will be two shows, one in the early afternoon and another short show in the evening, just before the fireworks displays.

This year, three aerial teams will perform. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels precision team and the AeroShell acrobatic team will be there. Also, the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team will give demonstrations.

Afternoon air show times on Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be 12:30- 3 p.m. The Saturday and Sunday twilight shows will be from 7:30-8 p.m.

There are also lots of attractions on the ground.

A midway includes world-class carnival rides and interactive exhibits. The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales will be there. Faust Park's Historical Village will show pioneer living.

Bud World, Kids Town and the Purina Farm's petting zoo will be there.

The fair also has the region's largest static aircraft display. You'll be able to see a whole variety of aircraft up close and personal.

Every year, the fair and air show brings in new attractions.

One of the new features is the Live Shark Show, only traveling shark show in the country. A 9,000-gallon tank is filled with circling sharks. You'll be able to watch a diver swimming with the sharks.

There's also a Great White Shark display.

Another new exhibit is the Double Vee-Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft exhibit. The only remaining Double Vee training aircraft from World War II will be on display.

The Tuskegee Airmen were an all-black aviation group that fought in WWII. The aviators were trained at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Ala.

Many of the airmen who trained there were from St. Louis. A giant mural honoring the role of blacks in U.S. aviation is featured in the Lambert-St. Louis Airport.

The Boeing Company also has created a customized exhibit especially for the fair to celebrate its 65th anniversary. The exhibit has special emphasis on St. Louis' role in the growth of America's aviation and aerospace industries.

Another new highlight will be the chance to get a ride in a Huey Helicopter. The helicopters will be flown by combat veterans from the Sky Soldiers Demonstration Team. Rides will be available on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The fair and air show also provides live entertainment from the main stage.

On Friday night, the show is sponsored by Radio Disney and is designed for kids. Greg Raposo, formerly with Dream Street, will be the main Friday attraction.

The Saturday show will feature Richard Marx and Ryan Cabrera and Avion. On Sunday, Better Than Ezra and Sister Hazel will be on main attraction.

Big fireworks displays follow the Main Stage performances on both Saturday and Sunday.

Fair proceeds go to the local chapter of the Children's Miracle Network. They are shared equally by Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital. This year's goal is $100,000. That will be added to the $1.2 million that has been raised in the previous 12 years of the fair.

Admission is free on the opening Friday evening, which runs from 5 to 10 p.m.

General admission is $8 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Kids ages 6 to 12 and seniors over 60 get in for $4. Kids under six are free all days.