Places to Go, Things to Do

Forest Park Balloon Race and more

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race provides some spectacular day and nighttime viewing for kids and their families. That's just one of a number of Places to Go, Things to Do during September.

Each month, in this space, Young Saint Louis.com gives you a preview of events and activities you can do during the coming month. Many of them are available for your whole family to enjoy.

In addition, in this YSL.com issue, there are a couple full stories on the home page that give you a chance to participate. Those stories involve a BioBlitz survey of living things in Forest Park and a look at the upcoming St. Louis County Fair and Air Show.

Be sure to check out those events as well as looking at the items listed below.

Forest Park Balloon Race

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 17-18. This is the 32nd anniversary of the nationally-known parade of hot-air balloons.

The event weekend begins on Friday evening, with the Balloon Glow below the park's World's Fair pavilion.

That's when all of the balloons are anchored but glowing from the fires that heat the air inside the balloons. Spectators are free to walk through the "forest" of balloons and talk with the operators.

This makes a dramatic picture as nightfall comes to the park.

The race itself is on Saturday. Festivities start at noon with the start of the race set for 4:30 p.m.

During the afternoon, there are a number of activities, some especially for kids.

The Pepsi Parachute Team will perform, starting at 3 p.m.

For complete details, visit www.greatforestparkballoonrace.com

Sci-fi Film Fest at Science Center

The popular Sci-Fi Film Fest has returned to the St. Louis Science Center, beginning with a showing September 17. Other shows will be October 8 and Oct. 15.

A fun "spaced theme" cartoon will be shown before each feature-length film.

The film showings are free. The shows are to be shown outside the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park.

The Friday, Sept. 17, feature will be "It Came from Outer Space." This film was first released in 1953. It tells the story of John and Ellen who are the only people on earth who believe a fireball approaching the Earth is an alien space ship, rather than a meteor.

The Friday, Oct. 8, film will be "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun." On Friday, Oct. 15, the feature film is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Any questions, call (314) 289-4444 or visit www.slsc.org.

Fun Club bike ride to Arrow Rock

Trailnet's Bicycle Fun Club is partnering with Missouri Meanders for a 3-day getaway to Arrow Rock, Mo., September 4-6.

Arrow Rock is the tiny mid-Missouri town that has a reputation for live theater and quaint shops. In addition, the area around the town provides some fine rural scenery.

There are routes available for rides from 15 to 50 miles. Overnight accommodations are available, including camping sites at the state park in Arrow Rock.

For information, call (314) 306-3996 or visit www.trailnet.org.

Some neat evening outdoor activities

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a number of evening activities during September. Included are "An Evening with Mr. Whiskers," an "Owl Prowl," and "Spider Sniffing."

These are just a few of the programs offered at the MDC's St. Louis area facilities.

"An Evening with Mr. Whiskers" is an evening catfish fishing on Friday, Sept. 10, at the Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County. The "Owl Prowl" is also at Busch Saturday, Sept. 25.

The "Spider Sniffing" evening will be at the new Columbia Bottom Conservation Area on Friday, Sept. 24.

Other MDC areas at Powder Valley and Rockwoods Reservation also have schedule events.

For complete schedules, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/

The Faust Folk Festival

The St. Louis County Parks Department will present the Faust Folk Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25-26.

The 7th annual folk festival is held at the Faust Historical Village in Faust Park in western St. Louis County. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

Kids can watch how pioneers did blacksmithing and metalwork. Also, there are demonstration of rail splitting, wheat weaving, cornhusk dolls, woodcarving and more.

For more information, visit www.stlouisco.com/parks.