We are so excited to be celebrating live in Forest Park that we have created many great interactive and learning opportunities for all to enjoy at our Festival. During the past two years we have been especially stressed, so this year many of our offerings focus on our personal well-being and rejuvenation. So come with an open mind and open heart to explore the many ways you can take care of YOU.

As always, our Youth Corner is a treat for interactive kid-friendly activities, and you will appreciate the chance to engage with each registered vendor about their product or service. We also have coordinated some special programming listed below so you can plan your visit to engage and enjoy the many options. And they are all FREE! So plan to come for an hour and stay all day!

Community Stage

Not only will we showcase the return of the World Bird Sanctuary and their Feathered Friends of the Forest programs 2x/day, but we have newly partnered with The Collective STL to provide many yoga and wellness classes. Yoga Buzz, our long-time partner that had to close, highly recommends The Collective STL to carry on yoga at our Festival. Join THE COLLECTIVE STL for complimentary yoga and mindfulness activities during the two day festival. Classes and activities are appropriate for all levels including beginners. Each day will consist of 4 classes beginning at 10:30 AM. These short classes offer an opportunity to try out various yoga and wellness modalities that may help you on your path to continued well-being. Check out “Mother Earth Morning Flow”, “The Power of the Earth”, “An Ode to the Sun”, “Offsprings of Mother Earth”, and “Protect your PLACE and PEACE”. Come with an open heart and be gifted and guided by expert teachers.

We know that in times of stress, we may be called upon to make enormous efforts. We often have to sacrifice our health, the wholeness of our limbs and body, to save our life. Obviously, then, we must be able to act swiftly and powerfully. The question is, wouldn’t we be better equipped for such emergencies by making our efforts efficient in general, thus enabling us to exert ourselves less and achieve our purpose economically? – Moshe Feldenkrais

Feldenkrais Movement Academy of St. Louis will introduce the somatic learning method developed by Moshe Feldenkrais to help you identify your muscular and mental habits, and learn to move with more ease and efficiency for strength and resiliency. Get curious and discover more of you through this experiential exploration. No equipment needed.

 

Dance performances by Pazazz Performers and the STL Rhythm Collaborative will excite and energize you with their upbeat and high energy performances. See strength and efficiency in motion.

 

 

 

Peace Garden

Limited programming will happen around the Peace Circle but be certain to visit to take time for yourself. Sit on a straw bale and gaze out over the serenity of the pond. Each day The Collective STL will lead Yoga on the Earth: An Ode to the Sun at 12:30. Imagine Health Chiropractic will lead attendees in a Best Self Visualization practice at various times throughout each day and Jabula women’s drumming will occur at 2 pm on Saturday.

Forest and Meadow Education Tent (with financial support from Custom Foodscaping)

Continuing our attention to the importance of personal wellness; each day, the education tent will have Certified Clinical Herbalist, Amanda Jokerst, and her knowledgeable staff from the Forest and Meadow Herbal Shop and Clinic sharing their information about herbs and wellness. Each day classes will start at the top of the hour and include growing and sustainably harvesting herbs to using them to support your nervous system and sustain your health. On Saturday, Tyrean Lewis of Heru Urban Farming will speak about companion planting.

View Program Schedule Here
View Educational Program Descriptions Here
View Vendor Spotlight Descriptions Here

We will also have short “Vendor Spotlight” sessions of ≈10 minutes to hear about the sustainability issue some of our registered vendors care about and try to address through their business model or organization. Topics will include: Importance of trees, how your actions in St. Louis can help a rain forest in Costa Rica, the importance of a plant-based lifestyle, climate refugees and how to support them, the importance of local energy grids, sustainable camping techniques, how colonialism created the destruction of the environment and the road to genuine peace and unity, the importance of valuing our public lands, and, understanding the systemic injustice and racism in our current food systems and how to address it.

Climbing Tower

Back again, is the Upper Limits Rock Gym climbing tower for fun and challenge for all. Waivers to climb will need to be signed by parents/guardians onsite. I’d like to say the sky is the limit, but the tower tops out at 24′ (if you can get that high!).

Aerial and Circus Arts

We will have aerial performers each day demonstrating their skills, and you can have an opportunity to try your hand at hula hooping and juggling and other interactive ground skills on Sunday.

On Saturday, St. Louis’s “Miss Mo and the Fringettes” along with special guests will be introduced for the first time to St. Louis, and will perform for tips. There will be aerial entertainment such as dance trapeze, lyra, and possibly silks and sling along with diablo and ball juggling. All of their content will be inspired by community and conservation, preservation, and stewardship of Mother Earth. Ongoing performances start at 11:00 am.

On Sunday, Sun Woman Cirque Art & Specialty Equipment will bring Hi NRG Gymnastix students performing aerial routines for tips. There will be juggling and hoops available for attendees to try their hand, and Sun Woman Cirque Art & Specialty Entertainment will bring stilt walkers, hoop performers, and aerial performers to join for a fun filled end of the day spectacle. Ongoing performances and activities start at noon.