François Chouteau and the Osage: Crossing Cultures with Molière
KC Molière:400 in 2022 has commissioned playwright Philip Blue Owl Hooser (Choctaw) to write a one-act play for outdoor performance at the opening of the Chouteau and Native American Heritage Fountain scheduled for July 24, 2021. His comedy for three men (one First Nations) & one woman is an upbeat comedy in which the French traders attempt to explain French culture using Molière’s work as example. Hilarity ensues as they bungle their little performance into something that might be called “Tartuffenthrope.” Good will prevails in spite of their misguided efforts and cross-cultural bonding is achieved. The inaugural performance is open to everyone on site of the new Chouteau & Native American fountain. Later the play will be touring to schools.
Ozark County’s Hootin an Hollarin
Hootin an Hollarin, the 60th Annual 3-day Fall Festival, will be Sept.16, 17 & 18, 2021, bridging generations of traditions and old-time fun. Old-time crafts & demonstrations, quilt show, old-fashioned costume parade, float parade, pageants for all ages of girls, outhouse & bed races, gospel, country & bluegrass music, food booths, square dancing, horseshoe pitching, old-fashioned games for kids, pet show, calling contests: hog, cow and husbands, pie contest, and more! Hootin’ an Hollarin’ strives to preserve the heritage of the Ozarks. Since its beginning, there has been a special focus on old-time ways and celebrating with family and friends. For more information, visit hootinanhollarin.com or ozarkcounty.net.
Santa Fe National Historic Trail 200th Commemoration Official Kickoff
The Official kickoff of the 200th Commemoration of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail is a day-long commemoration in Arrow Rock MO on September 1, 2021—two-hundred years since William Becknell left Franklin, MO for Santa Fe, NM, opening the United States first international highway of commerce and trade. Programs and re-enactors will be participating throughout Arrow Rock all day long. A complete list of the day’s events will be posted on www.santafetrail200.org as they are developed. The event is jointly sponsored by the Missouri River Outfitters Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association, the Friends of Arrow Rock, Missouri DNR, and the Village of Arrow Rock.
Charles McPherson: The Journey Home
Charles McPherson: The Journey Home is the celebratory homecoming of acclaimed jazz musician Charles McPherson, who is from Joplin, Missouri and will be held July 23-25, 2021. Events include a free public performance featuring McPherson and his band; the establishment of a scholarship in McPherson’s name; and a public art piece featuring McPherson and other Black Americans influential in the performing and literary arts. The Minnie Hackney Community Service Center of Joplin is collaborating with several community stakeholders to organize this week-long celebration, including: Connect2Culture, George Washington Carver National Monument, Joplin Emancipation Park Days, Missouri Southern State University, Post Art Library, Pro Musica, Spiva Center for the Arts, and Visit Joplin.
Florissant Valley of Flowers Festival 2021
Spring marks the 59th celebration of the Valley of Flowers Festival. Scheduled for May 7-9, 2021, this Florissant family-oriented event, the North County’s “first festival of spring” features a variety of attractions, highlighted by the Grand Parade and by the crowning of Florissant’s Queen and Court. Activities during the three-day festivities will appeal to all ages. Carnival games, exciting rides as well as rides especially for the younger fans will be featured at the Duchesne Home Association Fairgrounds. At the James. J. Eagan Center fair-goes will find a flower and plant sale, culturally diverse performances, a vendor/craft fair, a pretty baby photo contest, and children’s activities. The Grade Parade leads to the crowning of the Valley of Flowers Queen and Court. The parade decorations and floats reflect the theme for that year, with more than 100 units participating.
Appleton City Sesquicentennial Celebration
Appleton City celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festivities have been postponed until June 2021. Additional information to follow.
The Appleton City Sesquicentennial Celebration will be a five-day event. Festivities will include a parade, displays of area artists, photos and much more! Food choices available daily. Souvenirs and a 506-page history book of the town and its families will be available for purchase.
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in West Plains celebrates old-time music and the distinctive culture of the Ozark Highlands. Different from its rural counterparts, bluegrass and country, old-time music has its own distinctive sound that makes an important contribution to the complex palette of what we call indigenous American music. Demonstrating the spectrum of art forms from dance fiddling, local jig steps, and gospel singing, to the songs, narratives and ballads that tell the story of a place, to the occupational traditions of blacksmithing, log skidding, spinning and basket making, artists show how these arts are embedded in the experience of our daily lives and how they fit the functional and symbolic needs of our community. This will be our 26th celebration in Missouri’s Bicentennial year on June 4-5, 2021.
Springfield Legends at Maple Park Cemetery
Maple Park Cemetery Board of Directors presents Springfield Legends at Maple Park on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Wear your western duds and enjoy some boot-scootin’ fun in the saloon! There will be cemetery tours, free to the public from 2 pm to 4 pm, with limited seating. The evening event, tickets required, will include saloon-style drinks, dinner and dessert, western dancing, live and silent auctions, and a Showdown Poker hand for a prize! In addition, you’ll get to experience “The Legend of David Tutt” presented by the Wild West History Association. We expect tickets to sell out quickly! For complete event and ticket information, please contact the Maple Park office at 417-869-0217 or office@mapleparkcemetery.org.
Celebrate Wildwood
Celebrate Wildwood is the City of Wildwood’s annual celebration, held in commemoration of its anniversary of incorporation. This year the event (postponed from October 2020) marks the City’s 25th anniversary and will be held April 23-24, 2021. This is a large-scale public event with a parade, kids’ activities, local authors, live music, food and drinks, local organizations booths and demonstrations, Civil War reenactors, a Scouting area, and an art festival. The event is all about the community!
One of this year’s highlights is the City’s Historic Preservation Commission booth where current residents can learn about the area’s past and their heritage. The Commission has been working with a local author to compile a book on the history of Wildwood from pre-history through 2020. This year, the final chapter will be added and the book will be debuted at the festival
Stone County Courthouse 100th Birthday
On March 27, 1920, a time capsule was put in the cornerstone of the newly built Stone County Courthouse. This capsule has been removed and opened. On March 28, 2020, new items were placed in the capsule during a ceremony based on what was done in 1920. The items in the capsule show how much the area has changed from early pioneer days.
The 100th “birthday” party, the brainchild of the advanced stretch class of Galena Elementary, will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Festivities will start at noon when the exhibits will open and a blue grass band, “The Flying Buzzards,” will perform until county officials and other dignitaries speak, starting at 1pm. Relatives of those present are being sought and the grandson of one of the lawyers is going to be the master of ceremonies. Items in the original box will be revealed and displayed, and then 21st century items placed inside for another 100 years.