SUMMER ACTIVITIES SET IN ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS The VP Fair, St. Louis Zoo, Riverport Amphitheatre and a star-spangled country music concert are just some of the attraction scheduled in and around St. Louis for the summer.

VP Fair

Comedian Bill Cosby, singers Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson and the pop group Huey Lewis and the News will headline this year's VP Fair, organizers said.

The fair, held for the first time over the Labor Day weekend instead of over the Fourth of July holiday, will again be held on the grounds of the Gateway Arch.

"We are delighted with the top-flight stars we have secured thus far," VP Fair general manager Louis T. Maull IV said. "We are currently booking three more performers who we believe will be of equal stature and will provide a truly excellent range of entertainment for everyone, young and old."

The fair dates were moved to Aug. 30 through Sept. 2 this year because of repairs being made to the grounds of the Gateway Arch, officials said.

It is to feature nightly fireworks displays over the Mississippi River as well as air shows, band contests, educational exhibits and a variety of food booths.

A new feature this year will be amusement rides, including a 100-feet-tall Ferris wheel, Maull said.

Country stars shine

Even with the VP Fair moved to another date, the July Fourth celebration will still kick off on July 3 with Budweiser Rock 'n' Country, a star spangled concert.

Some of the featured entertainers include Hank Williams Jr., Grammy award-winner Reba McEntire, The Judds, Sawyer Brown, and Grammy award-winners The Kentucky Headhunters and Ray Kennedy.

In addition to the concert, a fireworks display will be held during intermission.

Tickets for the 6:45 p.m. show are $17.50 and $25 and are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at all MetroTix sites or by calling 314-534-1111 or 1-800-788-6869.

"Those of us with Budweiser are delighted to be the sponsor of what promises to be one of the most entertaining events of 1991," said Carol Kelleher, manager of the Anheuser-Busch Entertainment Marketing Group. "We are extremely pleased to be able to bring this show into St. Louis for the start of the July Fourth holiday."

Amphitheatre opens

Steve Winwood and the Robert Cray Band will play the June 14 opening night concert at the Riverport Amphitheatre in St. Louis County.

Other scheduled summer concerts at the amphitheatre will feature Chicago, Whitney Houston, Jimmy Buffett and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, among others.

The Riverport Amphitheatre, which is nearing completion in Maryland Heights, is an outdoor stage and pavilion that will seat about 20,000. Seven thousand seats will be reserved chair seats and 13,000 will be on a specially constructed hill, which will allow people to stretch out on blankets or sit in lawn chairs.

In addition to Winwood on June 14, other scheduled concerts are: Mannheim Steamroller, June 15; Chicago, June 20; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, June 21; Whitney Houston, June 22; Poison with Slaughter and the Bullet Boys, June 27; Jimmy Buffett, June 28; and Guns n' Roses, July 2.

All show begin at 8 p.m. except for the Ninja Turtles show which begins at 7:30. Ticket prices for the Ninja show range from $8.50 to $14.50. Tickets for other shows vary in price from $17 to $24. For more ticket information, call Dialtix at (314) 434-6600.

St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo, for the first time in its history, will stay open evening hours this summer.

Starting next week and running through Aug. 27, the Zoo will remain open until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Zoo's hours now are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

During extended hours, many animals will remain in their outdoor exhibits and most houses will be open. The Zooline Railroad will be operating, and the Living World, Painted Giraffe Cafe, gift shops and concession stands also will be open.

"We want to make the Zoo even more accessible to the public," Zoo director Charlie Hoessle said. "We think our extended Tuesday hours will appeal to working people, families and anyone who wants to unwind at the Zoo with fewer crowds and cooler temperatures."

Hoessle said the suggestion for evening hours came from parents who work on weekends. If the Zoo breaks even on the venture and expands its audience it will consider the experimental hours a success, he said.

"This is no longer a Monday-through-Friday world where people are off on weekends and do their housecleaning on Saturday," Hoessle said. "We want parents who work weekends to be able to come."

Mammal curator Bruce Read said the extended hours should not bother the animals at all, provided visitors remain well-behaved.

"Most animals ignore the public," Read said. "They are content as long as no one bothers them. The way to tell is to watch them sleep."