Saturday, June 20, 2026

Circus Flora, St. Louis City



Location:  3401 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103

Website: http://www.circusflora.org

Circus Flora is a locally owned and operated one-ring circus that performs for the public every June. Each year is a new show. Full-length shows are in the evenings, with a matinee in the afternoons on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On Wednesday mornings, a special one-hour "Little Top" show is performed for children and anyone who wants to see a shorter show. St. Louis' original one-ring circus has been around for more than 40 years. This beloved show is a mix of excitement, charm, daring, and comedy, all in an intimate Big Top setting. See mesmerizing circus acts, storytellers, and performers. There are special 10 a.m. performances for young children, a sensory-friendly performance, and a special Peanut-Free Preview night for those with nut allergies.

My 3-year-old and I attended a "Little Top" show. We found parking right across the street, which cost us $5, or you can park on a side street at a meter. My daughter was super excited as we walked up to the tent. We found our seats (the Box seats are padded chairs; Mezzanine seats are molded plastic bucket seats. The red seats give you a better view than the blue ones). The tent is air-conditioned, but the inside of the tent always seems hot to me. It depends where you sit and where the cold air is blowing. Luckily, one year many seats were empty, and we were told we could change seats to ones that were cooler and without poles in our line of sight. Our favorite part was the performing dogs. Otherwise, my daughter was bored with the narration and ground performances (gymnastics, juggling).  Overall, I think the show is better suited for school-aged children and above when the kids can understand the difficulty involved in the stunts and sit through the full-length show.



They sell t-shirts and other various merch in this tent. The concessions are in here also.






They have entertainment before some shows and face painting too.




Sometimes you can pay to fly on the outdoor trapeze with Circus Harmony. Unfortunately, the day we were there it was raining, so they weren't doing it. You get to go really high up! They don't let people in until 30 minutes before show time, and there is nowhere to sit and wait, so just keep that in mind. They do have a VIP tent if you want to pay extra. 
























You can get your photo taken with some of the Flying Wallendas after the show. They were amazing!


VIP tent


The line for the porta-potties can get long during intermission. But they have a lot, so the line moves pretty fast. 


One year they shot a man out of a cannon during intermission. 


The regular show is a little over 2 hours, including intermission. We loved it! 
It's such a great circus with amazing athletes and performers. 

Friday, June 19, 2026

Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex, Chesterfield





Location: 17925 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005

Website:
https://www.chesterfield.mo.us/234/Chesterfield-Valley-Athletic-Complex

Playground Ground Cover: Wood Chips & Poured Rubber

The Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex, formerly known as Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex (CVAC), is a premier 176-acre sports and recreation facility in Chesterfield, Missouri, designed to accommodate athletes and families of all abilities. Featuring 21 ball diamonds, including the inclusive Catch 22 Miracle Field and 16 synthetic infields, 10 multi-purpose fields for soccer, flag football, lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee, 6 baseball/softball practice fields, 6 lighted sand volleyball courts, 4 concession buildings, 2 playgrounds, 2 entertainment plazas, and ample parking, the complex is a hub for community sports and events.

There is a large playground located right next to the main parking lot. It doesn't have any swings, but there are several slides - all different sizes- and a jungle gym climbing area. The playground was clean and in good condition. During the day, the playground is pretty empty, but it is probably packed when a sporting event is going on.

There is a second playground on the property, a bit to the West of this first one; it's shown at the end of the post. 



The playground is right behind this restroom and concession building. This is the old playground. The new playground was installed in 2024. 







Modified merry-go-round











The second playground is definitely not as nice as the first one. It's just one play structure, and it has a tunnel, a bubble window, monkey bars, and some slides. It's over by the soccer fields to the west. Next to this playground are the sand volleyball courts if your child enjoys playing in sand.