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.
Ozark Cigar Box Guitar Music Festival 2020
The Ozark Cigar Box Guitar Music Festival is an annual two-day family-friendly event, bringing together local and nationally-recognized artists and musicians, showcasing their homemade cigar box guitars, which are made of recyclable materials. As the name cigar box guitar implies, the instrumental body is made of an empty cigar box. The head and neck can be made out of anything from broom handle to wooden slates or sticks and the actual body out of bedpans, skillets, and anything in between. The festival organizer, a Benton County native, seeks to cultivate a passion for the craft, teach others to make their own instruments, and share his passion for music played on these handcrafted instruments. This two-day family-friendly event is located overlooking the Osage Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks at the Drake Harbor outdoor amphitheater and will be held Saturday, August 1st 1-8pm and Sunday, August 2nd 11am-5pm (times subject to change). For more information, please contact Lynette Stokes at 660-438-2090 or lstokes@visitbentoncomo.com or Ryan at 660-233-1671.
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.
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
Heritage Youth Day
The Aux Arcs Chapter Daughters of the American Colonists presents Heritage Youth Day in Buffalo on August 10, 2021. Costumed volunteers using stories, games and crafts from varied time periods will connect area youth to the history of their state, the Ozark region they call home, and the United States through the years.
Northeast Missouri Old Threshers Annual Show
The Northeast Missouri Old Threshers Festival is a four-day festival with a variety of events and demonstrations depicting life and machinery from the past including but not limited to agriculture, family life, transportation, and communication. The event also includes a Nashville recording artist concert. In 2021, the Festival will mark the progression of 200 years of agriculture in Missouri, featuring demonstrations of horse-drawn equipment, steam power, all the way up to gas engines. The 2021 Festival will be held September 16-19 on the Northeast Missouri Old Threshers Grounds in Shelbina.
Made in St. Joseph from Steam to STEAM
The Allied Arts Council in partnership with the City of St. Joseph will host a festival on August 20-21, 2021. The mission is to commemorate the Missouri Bicentennial and the unique role St. Joseph plays in the state. The two-day event will explore St. Joseph’s metamorphosis from frontier town to a city of innovation. The festival will celebrate the steamships that helped settle the area to today’s St. Joseph businesses that use STEAM to innovate and create. Visitors to the festival will see folk artists demonstrating their crafts and businesses displaying the projects and innovations developed in St. Joseph. The event will provide patrons an opportunity to explore St. Joseph’s past, present, and future with interactive exhibits, historical portrayals, lectures, and music. Adults and children alike will have the opportunity to participate in STEAM activities throughout the weekend.
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