Saint Louis, MO., June 11, 2014 . . . As the countdown to Fair Saint Louis continues, officials with the Fair today further demonstrated why this year’s event will be a “Fair Like Never Before,’ announcing that Circus Flora’s Flying Wallendas and the Lake Saint Louis Water Ski Club are 
thrilling new additions to the entertainment lineup. They will be performing daily.
Presented by PNC Arts Alive, Circus Flora’s Flying Wallendas will wow the crowds as Tino Wallenda performs spectacular evening and nighttime skywalks high above the Grand Basin, covering a distance the length of a football field.
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“Watching the Flying Wallendas takes your breath away,” said Circus Flora Executive Director, Joel Emery. “Walking a slender wire, more than six-stories above the Grand Basin, with no net below, they will bring an entirely new thrill to St. Louis' Fourth of July celebration."
Local Watersports Promotions (LWSP) is also excited to announce the Wake Challenge will be part of Fair Saint Louis, with performances by the Lake Saint Louis Water Ski Club and professional wakeboarders from Midwest NighFLY each day as part of this signature event for the 250th anniversary of our great city. The Ski Club involves skiers from five to seventy years old, and has been performing exciting shows on water for crowds since the 1970’s.
“The Grand Basin water venue at the base of Art Hill is one of the most unique locations in the country to host such an event and promises to be a fun and exciting show for all,” said Randy Aubuchon, Executive Director for LWSP.
“These terrific additions, which have never before been part of the Fair, are being made possible this year because of the unique characteristics of the Fair’s new venue on Art Hill, overlooking the majestic Grand Basin,” noted Lori Thaman, executive director of Fair Saint Louis. “They round out an already impressive lineup of musical entertainment on the Budweiser Main stage, that will be paired with a host of family friendly, hands-on activities in the Ameren/Purina Family Festival Zone and a variety of cultural performances on the stage in the Post Foods Parade Town to ensure a great time is had by all at America’s Biggest Birthday Party. Fair Saint Louis truly is an amazing gift our foundation is able to provide to our community for FREE, thanks to our many sponsors and volunteers.”
Today’s event also included updates that the route for the 132nd VP Parade, which will step off at 10 am on July 4th is now available online at www.vpparade.org, and organizers want to stress that parking is free at the designated Fair lots
within Forest Park up until 10 am on July 4th. Those coming out early to get a good viewing spot are encouraged to sign up to participate in the Post Foods World Record Challenge, with advance registration now available under the Parade
section at the bottom of the home page. Free parking is also available at the Fair lots within Forest Park until 10 am on July 5th, for those who want to participate in the Schnucks Freedom 4 Miler, which begins at 7 am, and Family Fun Run, which begins at 8:30 am.
Other Activities In the Park
As the Fair gets closer, the institutions within Forest Park are firming up their plans for the Independence Day Weekend.
The Saint Louis Science Center will have extended hours during the Fair, opening at 9:30 am each day with extended hours until 11 pm. each evening and offering the following entertainment schedule:
- OMNIMAX® Theater shows starting at 10:00 am, last show at 9:00 pm
- Dinosaurs in Motion Special Exhibition open at 10:00 am, last entry at 9:00 pm
- James S. McDonnell Planetarium shows starting at 10:30 am, last show at 8:30 pm
- Telescope viewings (TBD) begin at dusk (approx. 8:30p) until 11:00 pm
- Parking at 5050 Oakland Avenue will be regular price of $10.00 (an example of one the reduced fare lots offering parking for the Fair)
To learn more about these opportunities, visit www.slsc.org.
The Saint Louis Art Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, July 3-5. The Museum will have two self-guided tours for families, Safari Adventure Guide and 6 Must-See Pieces. In addition, the main exhibition, Impressionist France: Visions of Nation from Le Gray to Monet, will be open during those days with tickets available for purchase on-site only. The Café will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. For more information, visit slam.org.
R&B Productions has teamed up with Eagle Golf to host a few of the Fair’s ultimate VIP parties. Events at the Highland’s Club House will be a family friendly environment featuring children’s entertainment, and parties at The Probstein Club House will play host to all of the adult only events. For details or to purchase tickets to these particular events, please visit www.forestparkgc.com
Getting to Forest Park for the Fair
Fairgoers are reminded that there are a variety of convenient options they can choose from for getting to the Fair, from taking Metrolink, walking and biking, to driving to one of the many designated parking lots serving the Fair. Those driving are strongly encouraged to access the route-specific directions available on the website at www.fairsaintlouis.org. They will be pleased to know that they will have access to as many free parking places as premium parking places. Reduced fee parking fees will be in line with what Fairgoers have always paid downtown at the Fair, and in many cases less than what is paid for any major event such as a concert or sporting event. MetroLink and the Park & Ride at the Chaifetz Garage are also both free parking alternatives, with a nominal fee paid to either ride the train or a bus.
The Fair St. Louis Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, operates the Fair each year and the Celebrate St. Louis Summer Concerts, and has donated numerous gifts to the St. Louis Community in conjunction with these events. Over the years, the foundation has contributed to the lighting of the Eads Bridge, the Mississippi River Overlook and the mile-long Riverfront Promenade, and was a partner in providing the Grand Staircases beneath the Arch as part of the National Park System.
Circus Flora - Founded in St. Louis in 1987, Circus Flora is a nonprofit performing arts organization dedicated to sharing the magic of classic, one-ring circus with audiences of all ages. Circus Flora raises its big top every summer in the arts district at Grand Center. In addition to its main season production, Circus Flora collaborates with a variety of organizations and businesses throughout the year to bring the delight of circus to ever-broader audiences. Through its year-round Clowns on Call program, the healing power of Circus Flora brings laughter and respite to thousands of patients and their families every year at two St. Louis-area children’s hospitals. Visit www.circusflora.org to learn more.
The Flying Wallendas – Featured Troupe - As far back as 1780, in the cafes of Old Bohemia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the ancestral Wallenda family was a traveling circus troupe consisting of acrobats, jugglers, clowns, aerialists and animal trainers – all in one family. Tino Wallenda, grandson of the famed Karl Wallenda, represents the sixth generation of the famous Wallenda Family. Karl Wallenda began walking the high wire in the early 1920s; the family tradition is being carried on by several branches of the Wallendas. Tino started on the wire at the age of seven when Karl took him into the circus backyard, put the balance-pole in his hands and taught him how to place his feet, control his body and where to focus his eyes. At the age of 12, he made his first crossing on the wire, 35 feet off the ground. At 17, Tino became a full-fledged member of the Great Wallenda troupe. For several years, he toured with, and under, the tutelage of his grandfather. Now, Tino leads the Flying Wallendas, traveling with his daughters and son, eight to 10 months a year, recreating breathtaking versions of the pyramids that brought the Wallendas to the U.S. in 1928. In 1998, performing family members reunited from three separate groups, the Flying Wallendas, the Fabulous Wallendas and the Great Wallendas, to recreate their crowning achievement, The Seven-Person Pyramid, reestablishing their legacy in circus history. To debut the intricate maneuver, the Wallendas premiered their feat for the Hamid Circus Royale during the 1998 Moslem Temple Shrine Circus in Detroit. Several attempts have been made by others to perform this intricate pyramid; as of yet, none have succeeded in accomplishing the feat the way it was performed by the Wallendas – incorporating the chair and without the use of nets or safety devices of any kind. This will be the Flying Wallendas’ 25th year with Circus Flora.
Local Watersports Promotions fosters support towards the advancement of watersports within local area markets. Through a unique platform of grassroots, collegiate and Signature Pro watersports events, this company utilizes the latest in both boat and cable technologies, which can open the door to possibilities in any market. We are excited to bring Fair St. Louis and Forest Park into the national watersports’ spotlight.
The Lake Saint Louis Water Ski Club’s members perform shows on Friday nights throughout the summer, compete at national competitions in July and August and are looking forward to involvement with Fair Saint Louis on July 3, 4 and 5.
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